Friday, 22 May, 2015
Note: This release is strictly embargoed until 11am today.
Christchurch doctor finds much-needed answers for people affected
in growing kidney disease and diabetes epidemic.
The first definitive summary of the best and safest treatments for kidney disease and
diabetes patients has been compiled by Christchurch doctor and researcher Associate
Professor Suetonia Palmer.
The international relevance of her work for doctors, patients and those who decide
which drugs to fund has been demonstrated by the prestigious Lancet medical journal
publishing an article on her study in its latest edition.
The University of Otago, Christchurch researcher together with a global team used
innovative statistical analysis to compare hundreds of research studies on the
effectiveness of blood-pressure-lowering drugs for patients with kidney disease and
diabetes. The result: a one-stop-shop, evidence-based guide on which drugs are safe
and effective.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of kidney disease
around the world, and people often have both. Chronic kidney disease caused by
diabetes always affects both kidneys and generally gets worse over time, often leading
to kidney failure requiring dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant.
Associate Professor Palmer says this study is important because diabetes and kidney
disease are at epidemic proportions in New Zealand. A common treatment for those
with diabetes and kidney disease is blood-pressure-lowering drugs. The aim of these
drugs is to prevent kidney damage.
However, doctors and patients face a bewildering array of treatment options as there
are many drugs available to lower blood pressure, many used in combination. There are
also hundreds of research studies done on the effectiveness of drugs or combinations of
drugs. It is not possible for people to identify the best available treatments without
scientific advances such as this study.
University of Otago, Christchurch, media release continues on the next page.
University of Otago, Christchurch, media release on Lancet publication, Page 2.
Associate Professor Palmer works as a nephrologist, or kidney specialist, at the
Canterbury District Health Board and commonly sees first-hand how confusing the wide
range of treatment options can be for patients, and those who treat them.
Her paper is the first to compare all drug options, and combinations of commonly used
drugs, against each other.
Associate Professor Palmer says it is thrilling to have her work recognised by one of the
world’s leading medical journals.
“It shows that we are producing research of international value at the University of
Otago in Christchurch in collaboration with strong global partnerships.”
The research published in the Lancet journal was funded by the Canterbury Medical
Research Foundation. Associate Professor Palmer also receives funding from the Royal
Society as a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and the Health Research Council of New
Zealand. The research was done in collaboration with researchers at the Universities of
Sydney, Ioannina, Copernicus, Calgary, Bari, Alberta, and Novara, and University College
London. The Australian authors are Professor Jonathan Craig and Giovanni Strippoli,
affiliated with the Sydney School of Public Health
To interview Associate Professor Palmer, contact her on 021 626 008. She is also available
on Suetonia.palmer@otago.ac.nz.