Study Shows: Hemodiafiltration Reduces Mortality for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease by 35 Percent

The mortality rate among patients with kidney disease is significantly lower with hemodiafiltration than with conventional hemodialysis. This is the result of a new study conducted by specialists at the University Hospital in Lapeyronie in Montpellier and led by French nephrology professor Bernard Canaud. The study showed that kidney patients treated with high-efficiency hemodiafiltration (HDF) therapy had a 35 percent better chance of survival than those that received traditional hemodialysis. The three-year Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) from five European countries involved 2,165 patients who received treatment an average of three times per week.

This is the first time a prospective observational study, adjusted to exclude influencing factors such as age and multiple illnesses, proved that HDF treatment has reduced mortality rates among patients with chronic kidney disease. A retrospective study published last year and using existing data had already provided the first indications of the positive effects of HDF. Specialists attribute the improved survival rates with the HDF therapy to a more efficient removal of harmful substances from the blood, less side-effects and a lower overall risk of cardiovascular illness. Cardiovascular complications remain the most common cause of mortality among dialysis patients and are responsible for almost every second death.

Dr. Emanuele Gatti, Fresenius Medical Care Management Board Member responsible for Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa: "The positive results of the new study support our efforts to provide innovative treatment methods such as hemodiafiltration to allow patients with chronic kidney failure to look confidently towards the future. We expect the demand for online-HDF to continue growing."

For the first time, Fresenius Medical Care offers online-HDF as standard treatment as part of its new 5008 Therapy System. Until now, increased costs made online-HDF viable for only a few patients. With the 5008, operating costs have been significantly reduced through simpler user-interfaces, lower maintenance effort and as much as 30 percent reduction in electricity and water usage. Now, more dialysis patients can be provided with online-HDF. Fresenius Medical Care was presented with the German Business Innovation Award at the start of the year for the 5008 Therapy System.

Online-hemodiafiltration combines two different methods of removal of toxins: diffusion-based hemodialysis, and hemofiltration whereby blood is filtered through a membrane. HDF is particularly efficient and gentle when filtering toxins and removing water from the patient's blood. The 5008 Therapy System automatically replaces the fluid removed with an appropriate quantity of ultrapure electrolyte solution; the solution is prepared by the dialysis machine "online", eliminating the need for additional infusion solutions in bags.

The study has been published in the online-edition of "Kidney international" at: www.nature.com/ki/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/5000447a.html.

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Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest, integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,400,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of approximately 2,045 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 158,700 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products.
For more information about Fresenius Medical Care visit the Company's website at www.fmc-ag.com.