22 April 2009

New dialysis trial conducted at Sydney Adventist Hospital

Wahroonga, New South wales
Tracey Findlay/Hornsby Advocate

The Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) is conducting an Australian-first study, focusing on the impacts of increasing dialysis above the standard 12 to 15 hours per week. It is believed this could improve the lives of those who rely on dialysis due to kidney failure.

Dr Meg Jardine, nephrologist at SAH, says, "The trial we're doing is comparing people who get the standard delivery of dialysis to people who get extended hours-24 hours a week or more. This is the first study large enough to have the potential to show a real result."

Anecdotal evidence from home-dialysis patients-some doing up to 48 hours per week-indicate there are health benefits from extending the treatment. The 12-month long study has 200 people involved.

Dr Jardine says an increasing number of people need dialysis as a result of diabetes and high blood pressure. Her advice is to find out whether your blood pressure is high, lose weight, exercise more and reduce salt intake. "If everybody did that, it would have a bigger impact than we do," she says.

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