Research Summary:

While a key member of the Division of Nephrology, Dr. Saran is based at the Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (KECC) in downtown Ann Arbor, because of his interest in outcomes research. His main research interests revolve around Cardiovascular Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease, and the epidemiology of Vascular Access in Hemodialysis. He is PI on a 4-center CKD study and is co-investigator on a number of observational studies (DOPPS, CRIC, PPS) and involved with multi-center clinical trials (FHD). Trainees from Nephrology and Internal Medicine regularly participate in bimonthly research meetings with a designated Cardio-Renal Group and weekly to bimonthly research meetings at the KECC as well as at the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (formerly the University Renal Research and Educational Association (URREA)), an internationally recognized not-for-profit research organization closely affiliated with KECC where there is ample opportunity to be involved with projects under his supervision.

Link to PubMed Citations

Selected Publications:

Rajagopalan S and Saran R. Peripheral Arterial Disease in Hemodialysis. Circulation 2006 pending revisions.

Santo D, Saran R et al. Coronary Calcification in CKD. American Journal of Cardiology. In press 2006.

Saran R, Bragg-Gresham JL, Levin NW, Twardowski ZJ, Wizemann V, Saito A, Kimata N, Gillespie BW, Combe C, Bommer J, Akiba T, Mapes DL, Young EW, Port FK. Longer treatment time and slower ultrafiltration in hemodialysis: Associations with reduced mortality in the DOPPS. Kidney Int 69(7): 1222-1228, 2006.

Mendelsson D, Ethier J, Saran R, Port FK, Pisoni R. Hemodialysis Vascular Access Problems In Canada : Results from The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS II). Nephrol Dial Transplant 21(3):721-8 , 2006

Rajagopalan S, Baliga R, Saran R, editors. Cardiorenal Disease. Cardiol Clin 23(3):xiii-xiv, 2005.

Dellegrottaglie S, Saran R, Rajagopalan S. Vascular calcification in patients with renal failure: culprit or innocent bystander? Cardiol Clin. 23(3):373-84, 2005

Hirth RA, Roys EC, Wheeler JR, Messana JM, Turenne MN, Saran R, Pozniak AS, Wolfe RA. Economic Impact of Case-Mix Adjusting the Dialysis Composite Rate. J Am Soc Nephrol 16(5):1172-6, 2005

Bailey G, Eisele G, Liu L, Roys E, Kiser M, Finkelstein F, Wolfe R, Port F, Burrows-Hudson S, Saran R. Patterns of Medication use in the RRI-CKD Study: Focus on Medications with Cardiovascular Effects. Nephrol Dial Transplant March 15, 20 (6):1110-5, 2005

Perlman RL, Finkelstein FO, Liu L, Roys E, Kiser M, Eisele G, Burrows-Hudson S, Messana JM, Levin N, Rajagopalan SR, Port FK, Wolfe RA, Saran R. Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): a Cross-sectional Analysis in the Renal Research Institute-CKD Study. Am J Kid Dis 45 (4):658-66, 2005.

Rao PS., Schaubel DE, Saran R. Impact of graft failure on patient survival on dialysis: A comparison of transplant-naive and post-graft failure mortality rates. Nephrol Dial Transplant 20(2):387-91, 2005

Saran R, Dykstra DM, Pisoni RL, Akiba T, Akizawa T, Canaud B, Chen K, Piera L, Saito A, Young EW. Timing of first cannulation and vascular access failure in hemodialysis: an analysis of practice patterns at dialysis facilities in the DOPPS. Nephrol Dial Transplant 19(9):2334-40, 2004

Perlman RL, Kiser M, Finkelstein F, Eisele G, Roys E, Liu L, Burrows-Hudson S, Port F, Messana JM, Bailie G, Rajagopalan S, Saran R. The longitudinal chronic kidney disease study: a prospective cohort study of predialysis renal failure. Semin Dial 16(6):418-23, 2003

Saran R , Novak JE, Desai A, Abdulhayoglu E, Warren J, Bustami R, Handelman GJ, Barbato D, Weitzel W, D;Alecy LG, Rajagopalan S. Impact of Vitamin E on Plasma Asymmetric Dimethylarginine (ADMA) in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): A Pilot Study. Nephrol Dial Transplant 18: 2415-2420, 2003

Saran R , Bragg-Gresham JL, Rayner HC, Goodkin DA, Keen ML, van Dijk PC, Kurokawa K, Piera L, Saito A, Fukuhara S, Young EW, Held PJ, Port FK. Non-adherence in hemodialysis: Associations with mortality, hospitalization, and practice patterns in the DOPPS. Kidney Int. 64(1):254-62, 2003

Stack A, Saran R. Association of Coronary Risk Factors with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy among Incident US Dialysis Patients: A Population-based study. Am J Kidney Dis 40(6):1202-1210, 2002

Martin C, Saran R, Leavey S, Swartz R. Predicting the outcome of renal replacement therapy in severe acute renal failure. ASAIO J 48(6): 640-644, 2002

Saran R , Dykstra D, Wolfe RA, Gillespie B, Held PJ, Young EW. Association between Vascular Access Failure and the use of Specific Drugs: the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). Am J Kid Dis 40 (6):1255-1263, 2002

Saran R , Goel S, Stack A, Prowant B, Moore H, Nolph KD, Khanna R. Serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 levels do not correlate with residual renal function in dialysis patients. Perit Dial Int 21(5):522-5, 2000.

Saran R , Venkataraman V, Leavey SF, Usovsky R, Usha K, Twardowski ZJ. Outpatient high dose urokinase infusion improves dialysis catheter longevity: a prospective observational study. Home Hemodial 4:32-36, 2000

Leavey SF, Strawderman RL, Young E, Saran R, Agodoa YC, Roys E, Wolfe RA, Port FK. Crossectional and longitudinal predictors of serum albumin in hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int 58; 2119-2128, 2000

Lee JH, Reddy DK, Saran R. Moore HL. Khanna R. Advanced glycosylation end products in diabetic rats on peritoneal dialysis with different solutions. Perit Dial Int 20:643-651, 2000

Stack A, Campbell E, Browne O, Saran R, Dorman T, Donohoe J. Prevalence and Predictors of Recurrent IgA Nephropathy following Renal Transplantation. Irish Journal of Medical Science 169(4):248-252, 2000

Reddy D K, Lee J, Moore H, Saran R, Khanna R, Twardowski Z. Chronic PD in the iron deficient rat with solutions containing iron dextran. Kidney Int 59:764-773, 2000