Chronic kidney disease impairs the protective functions of HDL, Vanderbilt researchers report this month.

Diabetic nephropathy, or kidney disease caused by diabetes, is a major source of morbidity and mortality. In the United States, more than 30 percent of patients receiving either dialytic therapy or renal transplantation have end stage renal disease as a result of diabetic nephropathy.

In some cases, HDL, the "good cholesterol," may not function properly and may actually accelerate atherosclerosis.

Researchers in Vanderbilt’s Division of Nephrology conducted a Phase 3 clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a new drug to treat patients with end-stage renal disease.

A novel molecular “conversation” regulates kidney fibrosis – the final result of end-stage chronic kidney disease – suggesting new treatment options for this currently irreversible process.

Vanderbilt investigators have demonstrated in two studies that metformin-based treatments delay the onset and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with other treatments for diabetes.

Kidney disease is the eighth most common cause of death in the United States and affects more than 20 million people, yet many people don’t know they have kidney disease because it often develops very slowly and with minimal symptoms. For this reason, kidney disease is often referred to as a silent killer.