A pinch of salt - A podcast by ERA

Every nephrologist knows about serum creatinine, eGFR, albuminuria, proteinuria. We use them to assess disease activity. But do we really assess disease activity with them? eGFR can be low and albuminuria or proteinuria can be high because of chronic and potentially irreversible changes, like glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, changes that might not be amenable to treatment. How do we know which patient needs more treatment if what we are picking up with established markers might be fibrosis. Well, these questions might become old-fashioned quickly. Let us introduce you to DKK3, a new urine biomarker which could finally identify patients with ongoing kidney injury that might benefit from more treatment. Have a listen to our new ERA podcast with Danilo Fliser, explaining what DKK3 is and why we should all probably begin measuring it. 

Most of us have gone to medical universities to become doctors, and physicians, to be the people who diagnose and treat patients. At some point, however, we all realize that we’re also the ones that are supposed to do the medical research which does not come naturally to many of us. If you can relate to what has just been said, we have the right answers for you, ladies and gentlemen. Have a listen to our new ERA podcast with the editors of NDT and CKJ, Hans-Joachim Anders and Jürgen Floege. Listen to them being honest about what kind of research they would like to see in journals and how to make your work more presentable. The amount of pearls shared could fill a whole necklace. You don’t believe me? Check it out.

Let's start with a quiz. Which was the most research in the World on Google for 2023? Yes, of course. Artificial intelligence. A super hot topic. Things are going ready fast, and the text, the videos, the images, the books but what about the medicine? What about the nephrology? Is it coming? Is it already here? If you want to know more about it, check us out in the ERA podcast with Roser Torra, ERA President coming from Fundació Puigvert, Spain. 

I don’t know how it is with you, but lupus has always been the disease that I hated the most. However, IgA nephropathy must be the one that I’m most frustrated about. Primarily, because I feel like there’s nothing I can do about it like I’m some kind of fraud just waiting for the patient to figure it all out and see straight through my incompetence. If you’re struggling with similar emotions, I strongly suggest that you listen to the IgA nephropathy podcast with our expert guest Professor Jonathan Barratt. Meet the man who boldly went where few have gone before to tackle this slow-paced monster and find solutions for all of us. 

Is it itching you to know more about CKD-associated pruritus? Do not worry! ERA is there for you!

Can you imagine that the number of patients with CKD-associated pruritus in your Unit is more important than your estimations?

Do you also have a bunch of patients that you do not know what to do with their itch?

In order to know this and many more on CKD-associated pruritus check out the new episode from A Pinch of Salt, a new podcast series by ERA created to answer clinically relevant questions on various subjects in nephrology. We are here to ask the embarrassing itching questions for you! Today’s guest is an eminent leader in CKD-associated pruritus, Dr Antoine Lanot from Caen, France.

In the latest episode of A Pinch of Salt check out 'Proteinuria - the common suspect', the most obvious whodunit in the pathophysiological process of kidney disease. Things are changing and I start being confused with the labile landscape of proteinuria. A huge number of mechanisms are presented and a large number of molecules are circulating or will circulate soon. In this pleasant tsunami of new ideas on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of proteinuria and the treatment options accompanying them, we’ll try to ask for help from the experts.

We‘ll start unfolding this complex network with the precious assistance of a leader in the subject Professor Annette Bruchfeld from  Linköping University, Sweden, the Chair of ERA Immunonephrology Working Group.