View clinical trials related to CKD.
Filter by:Early diagnosis of thyroid and lipid disorders by regular screening, and treatment of such disorders in CKD patients may be highly beneficial to slow progression of CKD. The study will be conducted to investigate thyroid function and lipid profile in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Although several large well designed clinical trials have shown that erythropoietin which is commonly used to treat anemia associated with kidney disease, increases the risk of stroke and heart disease, the mechanism for this increased risk is unknown. The investigators' preliminary studies show that the adverse effects of erythropoietin are from activation of the heterodimeric erythropoietin/ beta common receptor which only occurs with high doses of erythropoietin. The investigators propose a clinical trial of 120 patients assigned to low doses of erythropoietin given more frequently or the same cumulative dose of erythropoietin administered as a high dose once every two weeks and assess effects on the beta common receptor activation, inflammation and vascular disease as evidence by MRI of the carotid arteries.
The purpose of the study is to learn more about how treatment with vitamin D can affect iron metabolism and blood levels of hepcidin (hormone controlling iron levels) in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Iron is an essential mineral which is a major component of proteins that carry oxygen in the blood. Problems with iron metabolism can lead to low blood levels (anemia), which can commonly happen in people with CKD. New research over the last decade has uncovered a new hormone called `hepcidin', which is made in the liver and released into the blood. Hepcidin controls how much iron is in the blood by preventing the absorption of iron from food. Blood levels of hepcidin C are found to be high in people with CKD, and a recent small study in people with normal kidney function showed that treatment with vitamin D decreased hepcidin levels. In this study, investigators would like to examine the effects of vitamin D (Ergocalciferol) on iron metabolism and blood levels of hepcidin in individuals with CKD.