PAGE - Peritoneal diAlysis and Glucose Exposure V1.2

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Glycaemic Variability in Peritoneal Dialysis

  • IRAS ID

    225993

  • Contact name

    Mark Gilchrist

  • Contact email

    m.gilchrist@exeter.ac.uk

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 4 days

  • Research summary

    For people with kidney failure the work of the kidneys is done by dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis is one form of dialysis that patients can do every day in their own home. A plastic tube placed surgically in the abdominal wall allows dialysis fluid to be drained into the abdominal cavity. Toxins that would normally be removed by the kidneys and excess fluid the body doesn’t need pass through a natural membrane in the abdomen into the dialysis fluid. The dialysis fluid is then drained out and discarded.
    People on dialysis are at much higher risk of developing heart disease than the general population. One factor which may contribute to this is the large amount of sugar that is used in the peritoneal dialysis fluid. The sugar is required in the dialysis fluid to stimulate the movement of toxins out of the body. But some of the sugar in the fluid passes from the abdomen into the body. We know that uncontrolled sugar levels in the blood can lead to diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
    We will be asking patients who don’t have diabetes to wear a small glucose sensor on their arm for 72 hours. Half of these patients will be on peritoneal dialysis and the other half will be patients with declining kidney function who are not yet on dialysis This will allow us to measure what effect the process of peritoneal dialysis has on blood sugar levels.
    We hope that a greater understanding of this process will help us to develop treatments which may be able to protect against some of these damaging effects. And ultimately improve patients’ quality of life.

  • REC name

    South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/SC/0266

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 May 2017

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion