May 2025

Research highlights from the BC Renal network

Study helps identify people with type 1 diabetes who are at high risk of kidney disease

A study assessing the long-term kidney health of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) reveals several factors associated with a sharp decline in kidney function. The factors include poor glycemic control resulting in high blood sugar, being overweight or obese, albuminuria (the presence of the protein albumin in the urine), and high blood pressure. Of note, women with a high body mass index (BMI) - and especially those classified as obese - were at particularly high risk of experiencing sharp kidney function decline and kidney disease.

Dr. Kristen Favel is a researcher at the University of San Francisco, who helped lead the study while completing a fellowship at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC between 2018 and 2022. “We were interested in breaking down and understanding the longitudinal trajectories of kidney function over time for patients with type 1 diabetes,” Favel explains.

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Study identifies opportunities to improve Indigenous children’s kidney transplant journey in Canada

A scoping review of studies from four settler-colonial countries has revealed notable disparities of Indigenous children's access to kidney transplants and related health outcomes. The results have laid the foundation for a national qualitative study in Canada, led

by Dr. Samantha Anthony of the University of Toronto. The multi-centre study includes interviews with Indigenous patients, families and stakeholders (e.g., Elders and Knowledge Keepers) to capture their stories and identify opportunities to improve kidney transplant access, care and outcomes.

Dr. Mina Matsuda-Abedini, a pediatric nephrologist and researcher at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, was involved in the review and is part of the Canadian study. Of note, the review and study have been co-led by an advisory committee of Indigenous patients and families who partner to set the research direction, and ensure cultural relevance and alignment with the priorities of the Indigenous communities involved.

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Who We Are:
Kidney care professionals and patient partners across BC are engaged in a broad range of local, provincial and international research projects, many in collaboration with BC's educational and research institutions. Their work is frequently published in peer-reviewed journals.

Why We Do It:
● To facilitate/conduct quality research studies
● To support knowledge translation
● To foster local, national and international research collaborations
● To facilitate training and mentoring of young physicians and scientists

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We acknowledge with gratitude that our BC Renal offices are located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish, home of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish peoples, as well as the Métis chartered communities of the Lower Mainland