Nephrology

Hyperkalaemia is defined as abnormally elevated levels of potassium in the blood, a serious condition in cardio-renal patients that can be responsible for cardiac arrhythmias leading to cardiac arrest and death, with a resulting mortality rate of up to 30%.

SHPT is characterised by increased secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) due to disrupted mineral and vitamin D homeostasis in CKD patients. It affects 40–82% of patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD. The loss of mineral homeostasis leads to an enlargement of the parathyroid glands, as well as bone and vascular complications.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic auto-antibody-associated vasculitis (ANCA-associated vasculitis - AAV) is a rare inflammatory renal disease that leads to significant morbidity and mortality.

AAV affects blood vessels in different parts of the body resulting in damage to vital organs such as the lungs, kidneys, nasal sinuses, nervous system, gastrointestinal system, skin, eyes and heart.

Peripheral Artery Disease and Aortic Valve Stenosis are vascular calcification disorders and both major contributors to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in affected patient populations. There are estimated to be around 900,000 patients with PAD and 1.1 million patients with AVS in Europe and the US. The build-up of calcium and/or phosphate in the blood can lead to mineral deposits, particularly in the cardiovascular system. This is due to a loss in control of factors in the blood that regulate mineral balance in the body.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also called Berger’s disease, is a type of glomerulonephritis. Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the glomeruli – the blood vessels in the kidneys that filter wastes and excess fluids from the blood and excrete them in the urine.

For people with IgAN, the antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) is abnormal causing it to accumulate in the blood. The abnormal IgA is recognized by the immune system and antibodies are formed against it resulting in immune complexes.

These immune complexes are deposited in the center of the kidneys’ glomeruli causing cellular changes within the glomeruli, including inflammation and scarring.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a natural hormone produced by the kidneys which regulates the production of red blood cells. In CKD patients, kidney dysfunction can lead to a deficit in the production of EPO, resulting in a decrease in the production of red blood cells causing anaemia. In dialysis patients, advanced kidney impairments lead to a lack of natural EPO which results in severe anaemia.

Phosphorus is a mineral that plays an essential role in bone metabolism and cellular functions. An abnormal elevation of phosphorus levels – Hyperphosphatemia – in the blood, is a common and serious condition in CKD patients on dialysis, because, due to severe impairment, kidneys cannot remove extra phosphorus, which can pose significant health risks, including mineral and bone disorder.

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a systemic itch condition that occurs with high frequency and intensity in both dialysis and non-dialysis CKD patients. Chronic pruritus directly decreases quality of life and contributes to symptoms that impair quality of life.

Cardiovascular calcification of the coronary arteries, heart valves or aorta has been identified as a major contributor to increased mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing dialysis. Progression of cardiovascular calcification, which predicts increased risk of future cardiovascular events and mortality is more aggressive in patients undergoing dialysis than in non-dialysis patients.