PHILADELPHIA—In a system where solid organ transplant recipients have universal access to medications and health care, kidney transplant patients have better survival following transplantation than liver and heart transplant patients, data show.

PHILADELPHIA—Non-adherence to immunosuppressive medications is pervasive among pediatric patients who have undergone renal transplantation, a study found. Non-adherence begins as soon as four weeks following transplantation, and the problem increases as dosing regimens become more complex.

PHILADELPHIA—Researchers have developed a new and simple way to monitor nonadherence to immunosuppressive medications and predict an increased risk of graft rejection in pediatric renal transplant patients.

PHILADELPHIA—African Americans with hypertension-related CKD may be more likely to progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than die from cardiovascular disease (CVD), the opposite of what has been reported for other CKD populations in many studies, researchers conclude.

PHILADELPHIA—Cognitive behavioral therapy may help combat depression and improve quality of life (QOL) for dialysis patients, a study shows.

PHILADELPHIA—African-Americans CKD patients have significantly worse survival following an acute MI than their Caucasian counterparts, researchers have found.

PHILADELPHIA—Hemodialysis (HD) patients who undergo dialysis for eight hours overnight three times a week may reduce their death risk by nearly 80% compared with conventional four-hour HD three times a week, data suggest.

PHILADELPHIA—Serum fructosamine (SF) may be a better marker of glycemic control than glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in diabetic patients on hemodialysis, new data suggest.

PHILADELPHIA—Researchers say they may have identified a novel approach to treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). It involves using compounds that block a cancer gene's repair mechanism so that chemotherapy is more effective.

PHILADELPHIA—Tighter restriction of protein intake does not increase the likelihood of survival among CKD patients not yet on dialysis, according to an Italian study that also showed that serum phosphate levels predict progression to dialysis and death.