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 International (2006) 69, 1222-1228 (published online 15 February 2006).

"Longer (hemodialysis) treatment time and higher Kt/V were independently as well as synergistically associated with lower mortality."

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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

Drs. Perlman and Saran's paper analyzing the quality of life in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and those on hemodialysis compared to healthy controls. These data challenge the existing paradigm that kidney failure is associated with worsening quality of life (to quote from one of Dr. Saran's support letters).

link to PubMed entry

Wiggins JE, Goyal M, Sanden SK, Wharram BL, Shedden KA, Misek DE, Kuick RD, Wiggins RC. Podocyte Hypertrophy, "Adaptation," and "Decompensation" Associated with Glomerular Enlargement and Glomerulosclerosis in the Aging Rat: Prevention by Calorie Restriction. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005 Aug 24; [Epub ahead of print]

Dr. Wiggins and his colleagues have found that abnormal growth of kidney glomeruli (filtering units) and subsequent kidney damage can be prevented in a rat model of aging related changes simply by restricting calorie intake. It may be that high-calorie intake resulting in larger body size, obesity, and a high growth factor milieu is an important factor driving development of glomerulosclerosis through glomerular enlargement associated with podocyte hypertrophy, stress, and failure.

link to PubMed entry