The American Heart Association (AHA), a US non-profit known for publishing guidelines on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the country's largest voluntary organization for matters related to cardiovascular health, recently published a statement advocating home hemodialysis as the preferred choice over in-center hemodialysis for patients with kidney and cardiovascular disease.

In an extensive review, the AHA underlines that cardiovascular disease is a very common comorbidity in patients with kidney disease, and a leading cause of mortality in the group. It further notes that the most common form of therapy-thrice-weekly in-center hemodialysis-shows a poor outcome for patients with kidney failure and cardiovascular disease, with a 15 percent annual mortality rate in the United States. The authors' conclusion is that increased use of home hemodialysis therapies will contribute to betteroutcomes. As such, the AHA aligns with the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative and recommends home hemodialysis for CVD patients.

Notably, Dr. Christopher Chan, Vice-Chair of the AHA cardiovascular statement, played an instrumental role in the development of the Redsense Clamp-first as the Company's discussion partner and later as supervisor of the proof-of-concept study conducted at Toronto General Hospital.

"It is well established that home hemodialysis has many benefits for patients, including reduced cost and enhanced convenience, freedom and patient control. What is perhaps less known is that home treatment also improves the clinical outcome, in part because it allows for longer, slower, and more frequent sessions that better mimic the operation of a healthy kidney. The American Heart Association's recent findings lend further support to the clinical advantages of home treatment for the many patients with comorbidities. The Redsense Alarm is particularly valuable in a home setting, as it compensates for the reduced access to nursing staff, and with the new Redsense Clamp, the dialysis machine can even be stopped automatically in case of an emergency. Our technology thus contributes to unlocking the many advantages of home hemodialysis for a wider range of patients," says Pontus Nobréus, CEO of Redsense Medical AB, in a comment.

About home and in-center hemodialysis

During hemodialysis treatment, the blood of the patient is pumped through a circuit of tubing and through an artificial kidney, where waste and excess fluid is filtered out.

In-center hemodialysis is usually performed in three- or four-hour sessions three times a week, with the attendance of a nurse. The patient must travel to the dialysis center and back for the pre-scheduled sessions. Home hemodialysis is performed by the patient with the help of a caregiver, or by the patient itself, in the comfort of home, either with the same periodicity as in-center treatment or in daily, shorter sessions. It is also possible to get dialysis during sleep, so-called nocturnal treatment, in longer and slower sessions that may be perceived as less draining by the patient.

Shifting from in-center to home treatment requires a certain amount of prior training for the patient and caregiver to ensure a safe procedure. Using Redsense during treatment helps by providing an added layer of security and safeguarding against venous needle dislodgement.