As Ed Strudwick's nephrologist for every day of his remarkable 39 years and nine months on dialysis (Renal & Urology News, “The Hemodialysis Marathon Man,” October 2007) until his recent death from septicemia at age 71, I would like to revisit some of the valuable lessons that this experience has reinforced for me. Remind your dialysis patients that compliance is key. Ed's longevity was due to his full compliance with diet, medicine, scheduling, and follow-up...

A federal judge has allowed a lawsuit to go ahead against Campbell Soup Co, the world's largest soup-maker, over whether its purported "low-sodium" tomato soup really has less sodium. Four New Jersey women had sued the company last year, contending they were misled into paying more for the "low sodium" brand. They say it had almost as much sodium as Campbell's regular tomato soup...

University of California, San Francisco, researchers have unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney, which they say could one day eliminate the need for dialysis. The device includes thousands of microscopic filters as well as a bioreactor to mimic the metabolic and water-balancing roles of a real kidney. It is being developed in a collaborative effort by engineers...

When kidney patients begin to look at treatment options they have a lot of choices. While not all treatment options are right for everyone, choices include transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. If patients choose dialysis as their form of treatment, they next need to consider if they want to receive these treatments in a dialysis facility or at home. Although home dialysis regimens are considered “self-care” procedures that can be preformed fairly independently, patients often need the help and support of family members or friends...