We currently have a number of on-going studies exploring everything from the mechanisms of muscle wasting in CKD to testing the effectiveness of exercise interventions. Many of these studies are recruiting participants, so please get in touch via the contact us form for more information.
Investigating lifestyle determinants of muscle and physical function, and the impact on patient experience and support needs in kidney disease (DIMENSION-KD)
Patients with kidney disease suffer from poor physical functioning, low levels of physical activity, and increased levels of disability. This makes doing everyday activities difficult and reduces their quality of life. Many public health recommendations emphasise the importance of a ‘healthy lifestyle’, however further research is needed to identify the important lifestyle factors impacted by kidney disease, as well as understanding the needs of the patient.
DIMENSION-KD aims to establish the effect and association of kidney disease with different patient characteristics and investigates the impact this has on their quality of life and physical functioning. The study also aims to explore the patient ‘living’ experience of these factors.
A pilot randomised controlled trial of the effects of a structured, home-based Exercise program on Cardiovascular StructurE and function in Renal Transplant recipients: The ECSERT study
A kidney transplant can transform the health and quality of life of people with kidney disease. Despite this, there is a high rate of heart disease in these patients, which can limit the survival of the new kidney and the length and quality of life. Exercise reduces the rate of heart disease in healthy individuals and patients with kidney disease, however, there is a lack of rigorous research into the role of increased physical activity in the management of cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant patients. This study addresses two new areas: 1. The use of home-based exercise. Current research looks at supervised exercise whereby participants attend sessions, usually in the hospital. This is time consuming for the participants and for the research team and is often expensive. 2. Measuring changes in the structure and function of the heart using state of the art cardiac MRI scans.
Self-Management Intervention through Lifestyle Education for Kidney Health (SMILE-K)
SMILE-K is a multicentre randomised controlled trial with a nested feasibility pilot and a qualitative sub-study, designed to evaluate MyKidneys&Me (MK&M), a digital education and self-management resource for people with non-dialysis kidney disease. The primary aim of the study is to assess the effect of MK&M on patient activation levels and subsequent self-management behaviour. SMILE-K started in late May 2021 and achieved the target recruitment of 362 in October 2022. The study closed to recruitment in December 2022 with a final recruitment of 423.
