BOOTHWYN, Pa., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ — The number of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients requiring hemodialysis, considered Stage 5 CKD, is growing every year in spite of medical advances. This growth is fueled by the aging baby boomer population and the diabetes epidemic in the United States. There were nearly 100,000 new cases of Stage 5 CKD in 2005 alone, according to the United States Renal Data System, and approximately 600,000 in total today. That number is expected to climb 76% by 2020 and cost Medicare nearly $54 billion. (1, 2)
It is estimated that up to 70% of dialysis patients suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition that can result in unwanted weight loss and low blood protein levels, specifically, albumin.(3) Low body mass index coupled with low serum albumin have been strongly linked to mortality and close to 60% of new dialysis patients begin therapy with albumin levels below the lower limit of normal.(4, 5, 6) For dialysis patients who do not respond adequately to a standard approach, like liberalized diet and oral supplements, protein malnutrition and/or calorie malnutrition remain significant problems.
To address the specific nutritional needs of this patient group, Pentec Health developed a new line of patent-pending Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition (IDPN) solutions called PROPLETE(TM). IDPN is a type of IV nutrition administered through the dialysis machine directly into the bloodstream while patients receive dialysis. PROPLETE(TM) is formulated to address the protein malnourished dialysis population and has specific advantages for diabetes patients, as well as those with fluid management challenges.
Eileen Moore, CNSD, R.D, L.D., a nationally recognized expert on IDPN, believes the new formulation may be of additional benefit to malnourished hemodialysis patients with diabetes. “Traditional formulations for IDPN have been particularly troublesome for malnourished patients with diabetes. They often require close supervision of blood glucose and may require insulin administration. The unique formulation of PROPLETE(TM) provides an option for these patients and may make managing their glucose and fluids easier.”
“The introduction of PROPLETE(TM) reaffirms our commitment to patients, innovation and the renal nutrition market. Pentec Health has a 25 year history of offering traditional IDPN therapy and the introduction of PROPLETE(TM) allows us to extend the benefits to a broader range of patients,” said Joe Cosgrove, President and CEO of Pentec Health. “Given the current magnitude of diabetes, we are confident that PROPLETE(TM) will play a significant role in addressing unmet renal nutritional needs.”
PROPLETE(TM) is available exclusively from Pentec Health and can be ordered immediately to begin addressing the malnutrition needs of the hemodialysis population.
About Pentec Health, Inc.
For 25 years, Pentec Health has been an industry leader in providing Specialty Infusion Services nationwide to patients who require access to complex pharmaceutical products and services outside of the hospital setting.
Pentec Health provides Intraperitoneal Parenteral Nutrition (IPN) and Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition (IDPN) products and services to dialysis centers for their malnourished dialysis patients; and, as a JCAHO accredited home care provider, offers specialty in-home infusion services for highly complex conditions that are underserved by traditional home care providers. Pentec Health offers preparation and clinical management of drug therapies, skilled nursing support, reimbursement services and unparalleled care coordination to patients with acute and chronic conditions.
For more information about Pentec Health, Inc. visit, http://www.pentechealth.com/.
Joe Cosgrove, President and CEO, Pentec Health, Inc., +1-610-494-8700, [email protected] or contact Michael Abens +1-610-494-8700, [email protected]
About Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem. In the US alone, 20 million adults (1 in 9) have CKD and another 20 million are at increased risk for developing it, and most people are unaware. The term CKD refers to the five stages of kidney disease — the early stages (stages 1 and 2) as well as kidney failure (stage 5). Diabetes is the leading risk factor for CKD followed by high blood pressure.
REFERENCES 1. United States Renal Data System. (2007). Incidence and Prevalence. Retrieved Aug. 14, 2008 from http://www.usrds.org/2007/pdf/02_incid_prev_07.pdf. 2. Gilbertson DT, Liu J, Xue JL, Louis TA, Solid CA, Ebben JP, Collins A. Projecting the number of patients with end-stage renal disease in the United States to the year 2015. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005 Dec;16(12): 3736-41. 3. National Kidney Foundation. K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nutrition in Chronic Renal Failure. Am. J Kidney Dis 2000; 35 (suppl 2):S1 -S140. 4. Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kilpatrick R, Kuwae N, et al. Revisiting mortality predictability of serum albumin in the dialysis population: time dependency, longitudinal changes and population-attributable fraction. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2005;20:1880-1888. 5. Beddhu S, Cheung A, Larive B, et al. Inflammation and Inverse Associations of Body Mass Index and Serum Creatinine With Mortality ion Hemodialysis Patients. J Ren Nutr 2007;17 (6): 372-380. 6. United States Renal Data System. (2007). Patient Characteristics. Retrieved Aug. 14, 2008 from http://www.usrds.org/2007/pdf/03_pt_char_07.pdf.
Pentec Health, Inc.
CONTACT: Joe Cosgrove, President and CEO, [email protected], orMichael Abens, [email protected], both of Pentec Health, Inc.,+1-610-494-8700
Web site: http://www.pentechealth.com/
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