Clinical Research Directory

Sit Less, Interact and Move More (SLIMM) 2 Study

* Prolonged sitting (sedentary behavior) is a risk factor for decreased kidney function, obesity, diabetes and mortality. Prolonged sitting is associated with decreased kidney function and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and death. * In a previous pilot study funded by NIH, it was shown that a Sit Less, Interact and Move More (SLIMM) intervention targeting sedentary behavior in people with kidney disease was able to decrease prolonged sitting but that effect was not sustained. * Therefore, the researchers are currently conducting a follow-up study named Sit Less, Interact and Move More (SLIMM) 2. * This NIH funded study is conducted at the University of Utah and Stanford University. * The purpose of this study is to see if guided resistance training (to improve muscle strength) and semaglutide (FDA approved diabetes and weight loss medication that might also improve physical function) can boost adherence to the SLIMM Intervention and reduce sedentary behavior.

Pioglitazone to Reduce Sympathetic Overactivity in CKD Patients

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death. An overactive sympathetic nervous system in CKD patients is one of the major mechanisms increasing the cardiovascular risks in this patient population. Recently, some studies have shown that a drug typically used to improve glucose control (pioglitazone) may also reduce sympathetic nerve activity and improve blood vessel function. The goal of this study is to determine whether a short-term treatment with pioglitazone can reduce sympathetic nerve impulses throughout the body in CKD patients.

Effect of Empagliflozin in Patients With eGFR Between 10 and 20 ml/Min/1.73m2

The proximal tubule remains the main site for sodium reabsorption in patients with advanced renal failure. The investigators therefore hypothesize that SGLT2i should still exert a significant natriuretic effect in patients with eGFR below 20 ml/min/1.73m2, and therefore should still decrease proteinuria with a potential renal protective effect.

NAVIGATE Kidney: A Multi-level Intervention to Reduce Kidney Health Disparities

The overarching goal of this project is to refine and adapt previous work on the NAVIGATE-Kidney project for individuals with CKD. The investigators hypothesize that the multilevel NAVIGATE-Kidney program intervention will reduce the rate of central venous catheter use at KRT start (primary outcome), increase the rate of optimal KRT starts (secondary outcome), increase patient activation, and reduce decisional conflict (patient-centered outcomes) for individuals with advanced CKD. The project will have four (4) aims.

Enhancing Physical Function in Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease

The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to examine the feasibility and safety of a 12-week high-velocity resistance training (HVRT) intervention in older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 4-5 and to generate preliminary data to inform a future study investigating the efficacy of HVRT for improving muscle power and physical function. Researchers will compare HVRT to an attention control condition consisting of weekly group sessions covering topics on healthy lifestyle. This study seeks to: 1. Determine whether implementing an HVRT intervention is feasible and safe for mobility-limited older adults with advanced CKD. 2. Collect preliminary data on the efficacy of HVRT for improving muscle power and physical function in mobility-limited older adults with advanced CKD.

Designing and Implementing a Safety Net Surveillance Program for High Risk CKD

The objective of this initiative is to develop and evaluate a risk-based, provincial public health screening program for chronic kidney disease (CKD) that provides proactive care for adults at high-risk of kidney failure who have not previously been referred to a nephrologist, through risk stratification, triage, education, and follow-up. Overall, we aim to demonstrate that an integrated risk-based provincial public health screening program for CKD is feasible, and improves identification of high-risk individuals, subsequently creating a model of care that can be adopted by other jurisdictions.

Peer i-Coaching for Activated Self-Management Optimization in Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Conditions

The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of a peer support coaching intervention to improve activated chronic illness self-management versus an attention control group in 225 adolescents and young adults with childhood onset chronic conditions.

Effect of 4-7-8 Breathing on AV Fistula Needle Pain in Dialysis Patients

For many hemodialysis patients, needle insertion into the vascular access site (fistula) is a significant source of pain and anxiety. In this study, patients will be guided to perform breathing exercises using the 4-7-8 breathing technique during needle insertion to reduce this pain. A total of 80 adult patients undergoing regular hemodialysis at Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital will be randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group and a control group. Participants in the intervention group will be taught a standardized intervention program consisting solely of the 4-7-8 breathing technique, to be applied before and during AVF cannulation. The program will be implemented during every hemodialysis session (three times a week) for one week. The technique will be explained in person by a research nurse before the first session, and patients will be provided with a short instructional video demonstrating the technique step by step. The video will be sent to patients' smartphones to encourage them to practice at home. Participants in the control group, however, will continue with their current routine hemodialysis care and standard cannulation procedures (without any structured breathing exercises). The results of this study may provide nurses and patients with easy-to-use, evidence-based options to make hemodialysis needle procedures less painful and stressful.

Care Transitions App for Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions

The objective of this study is to widely implement and evaluate the Care Transitions App in a randomized controlled trial. The app the investigators designed for patients with multiple chronic conditions has four envisioned modules: 1) falls-reduction content, 2) a digital post-discharge transitional care plan (e.g., after hospital care plan, including education, medications, follow-up appointments, warning signs to watch for, nutrition, and other care plan activities), 3) a new module for patients with MCC (diabetes, congestive heart failure, and chronic kidney disease) including condition-specific post-discharge care plans with relevant symptom management activities, 4) a new post-discharge report module which summarizes key care transition findings and allows for patients to enter notes and questions for their providers and their own goals for recovery.

Dialysis Geriatric Care Model

The objectives of this study are to refine the dialysis care model with key stakeholder input and conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to obtain evidence critical to inform a definitive RCT.

System Interventions to Achieve Early and Equitable Transplants Study - Long-Term

STEPS-LT is an extension of the System Interventions to Achieve Early and Equitable Transplants (STEPS) study. STEPS-LT will follow participants that previously completed the STEPS study to evaluate sustained behavioral activation and transplant-related milestones among participants.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis in High-Risk Arthroplasty Patients

To determine the effectiveness of a 7-day course of an oral, prophylactic antibiotic on the incidence of periprosthetic joint infection and wound complications following primary total hip and knee arthroplasty in a high-risk patient population.

Streamlined Denervation With spYral For an Optimized Treatment (SPYRAL SWYFT) in Subjects With Uncontrolled Hypertension

The purpose of the SPYRAL SWYFT sub-study is to evaluate whether renal denervation with the Symplicity Spyral system performed in the main and first order branch renal arteries yields a shorter procedure time and is as effective in reducing blood pressure than the procedural approach used in the SPYRAL HTN-ON MED and SPYRAL PIVOTAL - SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED clinical studies in an uncontrolled hypertensive population.

Finerenone for Regression of Albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes With Chronic Kidney Disease

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, for the early regression of albuminuria in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (eGFR \>= 30 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 and UACR 30-2000 mg/g) who are already receiving a maximum tolerated dose of an ACE inhibitor or ARB. A total of 148 participants are randomized 1:1, stratified by baseline UACR (\<300 vs \>=300 mg/g), to oral finerenone (10 or 20 mg once daily, titrated by serum potassium and eGFR) or matching placebo, on top of standard background therapy, for 180 days, followed by a 30-day off-treatment follow-up. Albuminuria regression is defined as both an improvement in Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes albuminuria category, from A3 to A2 or A1, or from A2 to A1, and a more than 30% reduction in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio from baseline. The outcome will be reported as the percentage of participants meeting this definition at Day 180.

Assessment of T-cell Response and In-vitro Proof-of-concept of T-cell Engineering in Chronic ESKD Patients.

This is a comparative, prospective, non-interventional study to evaluate immune response in patients with chronic kidney disease. The primary objective is to define immunodeficiency (phenotype and function of T cells) in patients with end-stage kidney disease. The second objective is to provide an in-vitro proof-of-concept of T-cell engineering in the context of end-stage kidney disease. The study population was patients with chronic kidney disease.

SPYRAL GEMINI Pilot Study

The purpose of the SPYRAL GEMINI Pilot Study is to evaluate that multi-organ denervation with the Gemini System is safe and provide evidence of blood pressure reduction when studied in an uncontrolled hypertensive population with and without high cardiovascular risk.

Safety and Efficacy of KDSTEM Inj. in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

A Single arm, Open-labelled, Dose-escalation, Single-center, Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Efficacy of Autologous Urine-derived Stem Cells, 『KDSTEM Inj.』, in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of KDSTEM Inj. in the treatment in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Impact on Mortality of Screening for Kidney Disease Associated With a Specialized Intervention During Hospitalization in a Territorial Hospital Trust

Kidney disease in its chronic or acute form shares many risk factors for initiation, progression and prognosis with an increase in morbidity and mortality, the length of hospitalization and the cost associated with stages of increasing severity. Its overall estimated prevalence in the general population is 13% and 0.5% from stage 4, for which referral to a nephrologist is recommended to reduce mortality, slow progression of renal disease and better prepare for treatment by renal replacement. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a sudden increase in serum creatinine (Scr) with a prognostic classification of increasing severity. The population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often hospitalized and is frequently complicated by AKI, however CKD is asymptomatic for a long time, requiring structure screening in populations at risk. Performing Scr assays during hospitalization is an opportunity to screen patients with severe CRD or ARI requiring specialized treatment during and after hospitalization. A nephrological opinion is recommended for patients with severe CKD and AKI. Based on preliminary studies "MRC GARD" (NCT02938611) and "ARI TARGET" (NCT03192189), the study investigators identified the frequency of patients with increased Scr corresponding to stages ≥4 of CKD and to stage1b of ARI during their hospitalization. They found that 50% of patients hospitalized with a severe AKI had a CKD prior to their hospitalization. The use of dosages of Scr during hospitalization has been studied for AKI but without targeting high-risk subgroups and with discordant results. The study investigators plan to carry out a pragmatic study to show that an intervention combining alerts with Scr dosage to detect severe forms of CRD and AKI during hospitalization associated with the systematic intervention of a specialized dedicated team associating nephrologist and pharmacist to the scale of a GHT will improve patient and renal survival 1 year after screening.

Treating Metabolic Acidosis in Chronic Kidney Disease to Prevent Adverse Kidney and Cardiovascular Outcomes

Upon completion, this project will determine if treatment of metabolic acidosis in non-diabetic study participants with reduced kidney function (chronic kidney disease \[CKD\] stage 3) associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and macroalbuminuria, the latter indicating pronounced kidney injury, using either base-producing fruits and vegetables (F+V) or standard therapy for treatment of metabolic acidosis with the medication sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) 1) slows progression of CKD toward end-stage renal disease \[ESRD\]; 2) improves indices of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; and 3) better preserves plasma acid-base parameters. These studies are designed to compare the differential effects of treating the metabolic acidosis of CKD with F+Vs or NaHCO3 on kidney outcomes, including progression to ESRD, on indices of CVD risk and on plasma acid-base parameters.

Precision Medicine Approaches to Renal Osteodystrophy

Treatment of renal osteodystrophy is impeded by the lack of practical and accurate tools to determine underlying bone turnover. Gold standard bone biopsy is not practical in the clinic for the vast majority of kidney disease patients and parathyroid hormone and bone alkaline phosphatase have insufficient accuracy for turnover type to safely and confidently guide treatment of renal osteodystrophy. In the present investigation, the investigators will study a microRNA approach as a novel non-invasive biomarker of turnover for renal osteodystrophy.

Theory-based Health Behaviour Change Intervention in Individuals of Metabolic Syndrome With Chronic Kidney Disease

This study will adopt a 2-arm, pretest-posttest, and assessor-blind RCT design to examine the effectiveness of a theory-based health behaviour change intervention on WC (primary outcome), kidney function (eGFR, primary outcome), dietary behaviour, PA, exercise capacity, and self-efficacy of dietary behaviour and PA among Chinese adults with metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. A total of 160 adults with metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease will be recruited, with 80 participants in each group. Data will be collected at 3-time points (baseline, immediate post-intervention and 1-month post-intervention) via an online questionnaire survey platform (Qualtrics) by researchers blinded to the group allocation to reduce the detection bias.

Theory-based Health Behaviour Change Intervention in Patients of Metabolic Syndrome With Chronic Kidney Disease

The pilot study will adopt a 2-arm, pretest-posttest, and assessor-blind randomized controlled trial design to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a theory-based health behaviour change intervention and examine its effects on waist circumference (primary outcome), kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, primary outcome), dietary behaviour, physical activity, exercise capacity and self-efficacy of diet behaviour and physical activity among Chinese adults with metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. Researchers will compare the theory-based health behaviour change intervention to usual care to see if the theory-based health behaviour change intervention can reduce waist circumference and preserve kidney function over three months. A total of 40 adults with metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease will be recruited, with 20 participants in each group. Data will be collected at two-time points (baseline and immediate post-intervention) via an online questionnaire survey platform (Qualtrics) by researchers blinded to the group allocation to reduce the detection bias.

Safety and Tolerability of Difelikefalin in Adolescents on Haemodialysis With Moderate-to-Severe Pruritus

Rationale: * People with long term kidney disease who are on haemodialysis (a procedure for removing waste products from the blood) commonly develop a condition that makes their skin very itchy. * Difelikefalin is a medicine that can treat the itching related to long term kidney disease. * Clinical studies have shown difelikefalin to reduce itching in adults on haemodialysis, while being safe and tolerable. * The current study is being done in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years on haemodialysis who have moderate to severe itching related to long term kidney disease to assess if difelikefalin is safe in this age group. The aims of the study are: Main aim: To assess the safety of difelikefalin in adolescents who are on haemodialysis and have itching related to long term kidney disease Secondary aim: To measure the amount of difelikefalin that enters the blood in adolescents who are on haemodialysis and have itching related to long term kidney disease Study Design At least 18 adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, who are on haemodialysis and have itching related to long term kidney disease will take part in this study. All study participants will receive difelikefalin 3 (or up to 4) times weekly for up to 12 weeks. The study duration for a participant is up to 17 to 18 weeks; during this period, participants will visit the clinic 3 times weekly (during their haemodialysis visits).

Handgrip Exercise Training and CKD

The purpose of this study is to find out if regular handgrip exercise performed at home can improve blood pressure at rest and during exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study is also intended to understand what causes an increase in blood pressure at rest and during exercise (i.e., increased adrenaline levels, or decreased ability of blood vessels to dilate). Patients with CKD will be recruited from primary care, Nephrology and other subspecialty Clinics throughout the Emory Healthcare System. Participants will attend 4 visits of 2-3 hours and 3 visits of 1-2 hours. The home exercise training will last for 8 weeks.