CINCINNATI — A new nationwide study done in Ohio shows there’s a way to do dialysis on your own and lower your risk for other diseases.

What You Need To Know

  • A new study out of the University of Cincinnati shows dialysis patients can lower their risks for other diseases by doing an at home dialysis treatment 

  • Dr. Silvi Shah, an associate professor and nephrologist at UC Health, conducted the study after looking at outcomes from close to 70,000 dialysis patients across the country

  • Shah said based on the new findings, patients will be able to make a more informed choice about treatment

For Tyrece Baker, just walking from room to room was a warning sign. 

 “I probably couldn't walk from here that door without being out of breath," said Baker, “I just thought I was overweight and out of shape."

He was in the middle of kidney and heart failure.

“Shocked, surprised like, how how did this happen?" said Baker. "That was rough."

For the next three years, he spent most days at UC Health connected to a dialysis machine.

“It drains you, so pretty much like when I would go home, I would just go to sleep and I would be out for hours," said Baker. 

The machine filters the blood. It works as an artificial kidney for patients like him and takes a trained nurse to operate.

But his doctor, Silvi Shah at UC Health, has been studying how well the treatment works when patients use a smaller machine to do it at home themselves.

“Patients that are on home hemodialysis have 42% lower risk of stroke. They have 17% lower risk of acute coronary syndrome. They have 22% lower risk of cardiovascular death and they have 8% lower risk of all cause death as compared to patients who are on peritoneal dialysis," said Shah. 

She said she came to the findings after looking at the outcomes of close to 70,000 dialysis patients nationwide.

“We speculated the reason could be home hemodialysis is associated with better cellular clearance. It leads to better fluid management, better control of bone and mineral metabolism parameters," said Shah. 

She said based on the new findings, patients can make a more informed choice about treatment.

Baker chose to keep coming to UC Health for treatments and check ups, but he doesn’t need dialysis anymore. He got a new donor kidney, and another chance at life.

“At that time, I was 385lbs, and now, with the help of dialysis and dieting and exercise, now to 245," said Baker, "So I was over 140lbs of fluid and weight loss, that's why I feel a lot better.”

For more information on the dialysis study, click here.