Breakthrough in treatment of patients with kidney failure; UMC Utrecht study

A study led by UMC Utrecht researchers revealed that a newer dialysis method called high-dose hemodiafiltration can decrease the mortality risk in kidney failure patients by 23% compared to traditional treatment, UMC Utrecht announced on Friday. This new method, which removes more waste products than normal dialysis, could drastically reshape dialysis practices worldwide. Dialysis machines are currently less effective than healthy kidneys at eliminating waste products, since a healthy kidney functions 24 hours a day, whereas a dialysis machine three times a week, four hours per session. This new method could affect thousands of patients in the Netherlands and millions worldwide, particularly as the number of kidney patients is expected to grow with an aging population.