A pinch of salt - A podcast by ERA

In this episode we had the honor and privilege to talk to Camille Kotton, a world-renowned expert in BK nephropathy. The fabulous recent International Consensus Guidelines have been a breakthrough in this field, and we will talk about all the new approaches and recommendations described in them, including how to screen for BK nephropathy, how to act when screening is positive, when to do a biopsy, and different strategies of changing immunosuppression. We’ll also be talking about very difficult situations, like taking care of BK nephropathy in patients with high immunological risk and the odd case where a pa...

In this episode we will be talking to Luca Quartuccio, a rheumatologist and a renowned expert in cryoglobulinemia. You will hear about how we diagnose cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, whether we can have cryoglobulinemia without vasculitis, the types of cryoglobulinemia and their clinical significance, how to tackle secondary cryoglobulinemia with hepatitis C or B, first line therapy, the role of plasma exchange and maintenance therapy and much, much more. Dedicated to everybody who takes care of these difficult patients. 

In this episode we will be talking to Giovanni Tripepi, an expert in biostatistics. Medicine is not just an art but also a science grounded in biostatistics, which is why it is crucial to understand it in order to conduct and interpret research properly. In this episode you will hear about the most common mistakes made by medical researchers when planning a project, the most common mistakes when interpreting data, why a p-value below 0.05 is not always significant and a whole lot more. By the end you will understand statistics better and it won’t be painful at all. 

In this episode, we chat with Alice Sabatino from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden about diet and hyperkalemia. How have new potassium binders and RAAS inhibitors changed the way we manage potassium? And do patients really need to cut out fruits and vegetables anymore? Alice shares practical diet tips and fresh insights from recent research.

In this episode, we head to New Orleans, USA where Juan Carlos Q. Velez helps us unravel the mystery of hepatorenal syndrome. We’ll explore its mechanisms, the two distinct types, and evolving treatment strategies that might finally improve outcomes for patients with advanced liver disease.

In this episode, Charles Ferro from Birmingham, United Kingdom, presents the ERA’s Strong Kidneys Task Force. Learn how this Task Force is raising global awareness about kidney health, building partnerships with national societies, and inspiring people to take care of their kidneys.

In this episode we explore a very rare, but devastating disease called primary hyperoxaluria, which usually destroys the kidneys when patients are still very young and afterwards, the calcium oxalate crystals deposit in the bones, joints, vessel walls, the heart and other organs, leading to a dramatic shortening of life. Effectively the patient is slowly turning into stone. Justine Bacchetta, a world-renowned expert, will help us understand this disease and navigate the new and very effective therapies that have recently become available.  

In this episode, we refer to an article featured in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (NDT), you c...

In this episode we navigate another difficult disease to treat, that is antibody-mediated rejection of kidney transplants, a disease that currently has no effective standard treatment. Luckily, new therapy is on the horizon, and the sunrise will be coming soon. Georg Böhmig has been involved in most of the exciting new research done in this field and will inform us of all the novelties that are just around the corner.

Ivo Laranjinha and Susi Knöller from the ERA Sustainable Nephrology Task Force share insights on practical actions that can make a measurable difference in nephrology. By the end of the conversation, it became clear that green nephrology isn’t boring, it represents the opportunity of this generation.

In this episode, we refer to an article featured in Clinical Kidney Journal (CKJ), you can find the link here.

Marieta Theodorakopoulou reveals why excess weight is a silent but powerful driver of chronic kidney disease. With obesity rates soaring, especially among younger generations, she guides us through the mechanisms of obesity-associated renal  lesions, how to tailor treatments for obese CKD patients, and what we know about the renal safety of anti-obesity drugs.

In this episode we dive into the rapidly expanding world of onconephrology with Kenar D. Jhaveri. He explains the scope of this emerging subspecialty, identifies the top oncologic agents linked to kidney complications, and shares resources to help nephrologists stay ahead in this ever-changing field. 

Jolanta Małyszko takes us through a condition that sits at the crossroads of hematology and nephrology. She explains how these protein abnormalities can quietly damage the kidneys, why early recognition is essential, and how collaboration between specialties can improve outcomes. 

Christophe Mariat, from Saint-Étienne, France, and Chair of the ERA DESCaRTES Working Group, takes us through the complex topic of adapting anti-rejection treatment in the context of a failing renal graft. He shares valuable insights on renal graft survival rates, strategies for adjusting immunosuppressive treatments when the kidney starts failing, and the adaptations needed in antirejection strategies once dialysis is resumed.

Ilaria Gandolfini, from the Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy — not far from the ERA headquarters — unpacks the changing landscape of infection prophylaxis for renal transplant recipients in 2025. In this dense and informative episode, she highlights the current infectious challenges in renal transplantation, the emergence of new infectious risks, the development of novel treatment options, and reviews both prophylactic and preemptive strategies.

We have the honour to chat with David Cooper, a living legend in xenotransplantation, who has followed this field for over half a century. This is a captivating discussion about the evolution of xenotransplantation, exploring the scientific, ethical, and practical aspects of building this emerging ecosystem, a field we all observe with great curiosity and high expectations.

Ever wanted to attend a master class on IgG4-related disease? Even if your answer is no, you still won’t want to miss this episode of A Pinch of Salt. John Stone, a world renowned expert in IgG4RD, is going to share all the clinically relevant details on how to diagnose IgG4RD, how to do the staging, how important is a biopsy, which lab tests to use to assess disease activity, how to treat these patients and how to assess the response to therapy. Everything you never knew you wanted to know about IgG4RD in on...

We know, C3 glomerulopathy is a difficult subject. All this complement talk will make a person tired and slightly confused. Here’s your chance to discover this disease in an easy yet comprehensive and meaningful way. Marina Vivarelli, C3G-s enemy in chief, is going to share the most important information about this disease, everything from the pathophysiology and genetics, to diagnostics, differential diagnosis, the link between C3G and immune complex GN, treatment and so much more. And all of this explained in a way that even we could understand. You’ll C3. Dive in and find out for...

Everything about atypical HUS is atypical, and frankly a bit annoying. The differential diagnosis is as wide as the ocean and when it comes to genetics, well that would make even a psychologically stable fellow nervous. Luckily, we’ve found help of the highest degree. Neil Sheerin has been tackling this animal for ages and has gotten to know all of its tricks and dirty plays. Tune in to our atypical HUS episode and gain the upper ground on this beast. Learn about diagnosis, lab testing, treatment, stopping treatment, genetics and transplantation in this easy-to-follow episode of A Pinch of...

Steroids have long been a cornerstone in treating ANCA-associated vasculitis, but their toxicity remains a significant challenge. Could Avacopan, a selective oral C5a receptor antagonist, provide a safer and more effective alternative? In this episode, you’ll hear about what’s new in the pathophysiology of ANCA vasculitis, current remission induction therapies, the place of Avacopan in the treatment protocols and future possibilities for managing this complex condition. Guiding us through these topics is Lorraine Harper, a distinguished specialist from the University of Birmingham, whose expertise in immunology and vasculitis offers invaluable insights into the latest advancements. 

We’re focusing on a challenging topic: anticoagulation in CKD patients with atrial fibrillation. With up to 25% of CKD patients affected, managing this common arrhythmia is no easy task. How do we balance stroke prevention and bleeding risks? What’s the role of DOACs versus vitamin K antagonists? And should dialysis patients even receive anticoagulation? Are there any new treatment options? To help us untangle these questions, we’re joined by Frida Welander from Karolinska University, Sweden, an expert on the field. Don’t miss this insightful discussion.

In this episode of A Pinch of Salt, you'll get the unique opportunity of trying to experience what it's actually like to be a dialysis patient, a kidney failure patient, what are the issues they're dealing with and how can we as physicians help them get through the day. I think it's one of the valuable opportunities that you really shouldn't miss because at the end of the day we really want to help them, don’t we? Listen to the episode with Malene Deele, a kidney failure patient, also chairman of the Danish Kidney Association.

We’ve probably all noticed that our nurses have a different perspective of our patients than the one we do ourselves and maybe we can say that often their perspective is closer to what the patient is feeling, so it’s definitely a fresh outlook. We will be talking about this with Jeanette Finderup in our episode on the nurse’s perspective, where you can expect to hear about what she thinks the role of the nurse is, what she thinks the role of the nurse is not, and how we could collaborate for the benefit of our patients to pro...

Today, we address a crucial and evolving topic: the Approach to Conservative Care for ESKD Patients. This area has garnered increasing attention at national and international levels, reflecting the need for better detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies tailored to this growing patient population.
We’re joined by Prof. Holly Koncicki, Associate Professor at Mount Sinai Health System, New York, USA, who will help us explore whether conservative care could be considered a legitimate therapeutic option for ESKD, how do we define and engage the target population and what tools and approaches can optimize conservative care delivery.

In this episode, we explore sex and gender disparities in the epidemiology and outcomes of chronic kidney disease. Did you know that women are less likely to receive a CKD diagnosis, visit a nephrologist, or access guideline-recommended therapies—even in developed countries?
To help us unpack these critical issues, we're joined by Professor Adeera Levin, Head of the Division of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia in Canada
Together, we’ll discuss the biological, societal, and systemic barriers driving these disparities and, more importantly, how we can overcome them. 

In this episode, we explore the latest insights on treating arterial hypertension in 2025. With updates from the European Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Cardiology, the standards for blood pressure management are evolving rapidly.
Joining us is Pantelis Sarafidis from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. What’s new in these guidelines? How do they redefine hypertension management, particularly for patients with kidney disease? And what does the treatment algorithm look like for 2025 and beyond?

In this ANCA vasculitis episode we will be talking to Vladimir Tesar about the new KDIGO guidelines – what are the novelties, how we should treat ANCA vasculitis patients in this day and age, some difficult cases will be discussed, plasma exchange, rituximab, and much, much more.

You’ve probably all heard about Imlifidase, the new miracle drug which is capable of bringing down IgG from normal levels to virtually zero in a matter of hours. Is this going to be a revolution in transplantation, particularly for allosensitized patients? You can get the answers to these questions by listening to our podcast with Rainer Oberbauer on Imlifidase. You can expect to hear how the drug works, how well it performs, particularly in allosensitized individuals, and what are the tips and tricks for using this drug. 

How do I start a research project? How do I join a research team? How does one get financing for research projects? How do I understand medical publishing and how to thrive in it? We've all been there, my friend. Andreas Kronbichler has been there too. As our next guest of our research related, A Pinch of Salt podcast, he will try to answer these questions. And I believe you'll find them informative. Check it out.

Renal pathology is about much more than diagnosis, it’s about decoding the mechanisms of diseases like glomerular and tubulointerstitial disorders to shape more effective, personalized treatments. In this episode, we’ll dive into the methodologies behind renal biopsies, and the critical role they play in guiding treatment strategies. Looking ahead, we’ll also discuss the future of renal pathology and its impact on the care we provide. Joining us is Ingeborg Bajema from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. A renowned expert in the field, she’ll share her perspective on current biopsy techniques, the changes we’ve seen in...

In today’s episode, we’re focusing on a crucial yet often under-discussed subject: the role of vaccination in chronic kidney disease. Patients with CKD are at a markedly increased risk of infections, a vulnerability compounded by factors like impaired immunity, dialysis, and immunosuppressive therapies. Vaccination, therefore, plays an indispensable role in safeguarding their health. In this episode, we’ll examine which vaccines are recommended for CKD patients. We’ll also address the challenges of ensuring vaccine efficacy in immunosuppressed patients and explore how vaccination practices should be tailored across various CKD stages. Our guest is Nina Babel from the Univ...

Growing up isn’t just about age, it’s about healthcare too! In this episode of A Pinch of Salt, we explore the challenging shift from paediatric to adult nephrology  with Arvind Nagra. Learn how to empower young kidney patients to take charge of their health. Check it out!

Navigating through the field of genetics is challenging and something one shouldn't do alone. Check out our episode on genetics and kidney disease with our guest, Emilie Cornec-Le Gall. You can expect to hear about when we should do genetic testing. How do we interpret the results? Do we need a geneticist for the interpretation? What exactly is the variant of unknown significance and much more? Genetics will never feel the same.

Polycystic kidney disease, multicystic kidney disease, kidney cancer risk, kidney failure risk, exploding brain arteries risk. Join us on our next podcast with Roman Ulrich-Müller and explore with us the vagaries and uncertainties of polycystic kidney disease. You can expect to hear about the difference between polycystic and multicystic kidney disease, how to diagnose PKD, when should we do genetic testing, and what can we get out of them, and much, much more. Join us.

Molecules and pathways come to mind, but solutions seem elusive. That’s why we’re bringing you an insightful episode from A Pinch of Salt on vascular calcification and calciphylaxis, featuring renowned specialists Smeeta Sinha. Join her as she guides you through the intricate pathways of this challenging topic in a dynamic, engaging discussion.

Disasters are an unavoidable part of life, whether caused by nature or human actions. The impact of a disaster, however, often depends on our level of preparedness—a challenge when facing events we’ve never experienced before. Join us as we talk with Serhan Tuğlular, former Chair of the ERA’s Kidney Relief in Disasters Task Force, who shares insights on how to better prepare and minimize devastation. This is a conversation that could save lives—don’t miss it!

In this episode we explore the unique challenges of pregnancy and kidney disease with guest Matt Hall, a leading expert in maternal medicine and obstetric nephrology. Hall shares insights into the latest advancements in supporting women with CKD who wish to start a family. Don’t miss this essential conversation!

National and international renal registries have significantly diversified their activities in recent years. The ERA Registry is committed to a wide range of population-based research activities. With extensive accumulated experience and a top-class staff, it is engaged in numerous research projects, cohort studies, and other scientific initiatives. Alberto Ortiz is the Chair of the ERA Registry Committee and is involved in groundbreaking research projects, including assistance with coding and definitions, as well as the EQUAL study. Check it out! 

CKD-MBD can be a most confusing field. When we start learning about it, we are usually focused on lowering PTH levels, only to find out that in many scenarios high PTH levels are the consequence of PTH resistance and that overactivity of PTH might not even be the issue. But maybe PTH is not what we should be focusing on, maybe it’s phosphate and yet, how do we lower that efficiently? Treatment with vitamin D can lower PTH and increase phosphate. But at the end of the day, laboratory results might not be the main problem, maybe we sh...

People say that dinosaurs are extinct but apparently, that is not the case. You see, there are some of us who grew up and learned about nephrology in different times, times with no internet, no smartphone, no social media. A time that we might now refer to as the golden age, while others, who are younger and with far better skin, will refer to it as the age of dinosaurs. If you are one of these, likely to roar in frustration when opening one social media platform or the other, we have a podcast just for you. Meet Samira...

The more time is passing, the more we find the importance and the density of the functional interconnections between the kidney and the heart. If you treat one of them, you might potentially improve the other and the number of therapeutic agents with combined cardiorenal efficacy ever increases. We will have the honor and the pleasure of discussing cardiorenal medicine with Patrick Mark from the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom. A specialist on this matter in a most exciting session registered face to face during the ERA Stockholm Congress. Do not hesitate to join us on this fascinating journey...

You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Wise words from Joni Mitchell that you might find in her famous song Big Yellow Taxi. People who have never had problems sleeping have absolutely no idea how difficult life becomes when you can’t sleep properly or well enough. It’s literally a nightmare, only you're awake, and it seems like it lasts forever. Unfortunately, this nightmare is incredibly common in CKD patients, particularly in patients with end-stage kidney disease. It’s up to us to identify these patients, because if we don’t do it, it’s unlikely...

Being a young doctor must be one of the toughest positions a person can find themselves in. The key to success in medicine is experience which is the one thing you cannot have as a young doctor. That is why having a mentor, or mentors is essential. However, being in contact with your peers is also important. Sharing trials and tribulations with someone your own age is not only comforting but also informative. The world is a global place and contact with young professionals around Europe might be just the thing you need. That’s why we would like to...

Let's start with a quiz. Which was the most research in the World on Google for 2023? Yes, of course. Artificial intelligence. A super hot topic. Things are going ready fast, and the text, the videos, the images, the books but what about the medicine? What about the nephrology? Is it coming? Is it already here? If you want to know more about it, check us out in the ERA podcast with Roser Torra, ERA President coming from Fundació Puigvert, Spain. 

Most of us have gone to medical universities to become doctors, and physicians, to be the people who diagnose and treat patients. At some point, however, we all realize that we’re also the ones that are supposed to do the medical research which does not come naturally to many of us. If you can relate to what has just been said, we have the right answers for you, ladies and gentlemen. Have a listen to our new ERA podcast with the editors of NDT and CKJ, Hans-Joachim Anders and Jürgen Floege. Listen to them being honest about wha...

Every nephrologist knows about serum creatinine, eGFR, albuminuria, proteinuria. We use them to assess disease activity. But do we really assess disease activity with them? eGFR can be low and albuminuria or proteinuria can be high because of chronic and potentially irreversible changes, like glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, changes that might not be amenable to treatment. How do we know which patient needs more treatment if what we are picking up with established markers might be fibrosis. Well, these questions might become old-fashioned quickly. Let us introduce you to DKK3, a new urine biomarker which could finally identify patients...

In the latest episode of A Pinch of Salt check out 'Proteinuria - the common suspect', the most obvious whodunit in the pathophysiological process of kidney disease. Things are changing and I start being confused with the labile landscape of proteinuria. A huge number of mechanisms are presented and a large number of molecules are circulating or will circulate soon. In this pleasant tsunami of new ideas on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of proteinuria and the treatment options accompanying them, we’ll try to ask for help from the experts.

We‘ll start unfolding this complex network with the...

Is it itching you to know more about CKD-associated pruritus? Do not worry! ERA is there for you!

Can you imagine that the number of patients with CKD-associated pruritus in your Unit is more important than your estimations?

Do you also have a bunch of patients that you do not know what to do with their itch?

In order to know this and many more on CKD-associated pruritus check out the new episode from A Pinch of Salt, a new podcast series by ERA created to answer clinically relevant questions on various subjects...

I don’t know how it is with you, but lupus has always been the disease that I hated the most. However, IgA nephropathy must be the one that I’m most frustrated about. Primarily, because I feel like there’s nothing I can do about it like I’m some kind of fraud just waiting for the patient to figure it all out and see straight through my incompetence. If you’re struggling with similar emotions, I strongly suggest that you listen to the IgA nephropathy podcast with our expert guest Professor Jonathan Barratt. Meet the man who boldly wen...

How many times per day during your dialysis rounds do you find the personnel a bit stressed near a patient suffering from an episode of intradialytic hypotension?

And they are actually looking at you for the magic solution!

A lot of things are simultaneously passing from your mind but sometimes you are not absolutely sure if you are doing the right thing…

Despite the giant leaps of Nephrology in recent decades, intradialytic hypotension is still an important problem of daily practice affecting about 20% of hemodialysis patients. 

We feel that this is bad...

Dialysis saves lives. But only if you can do it and do it well. Enter dialysis access. There is no dialysis without dialysis access. Whose job is it to take care of this vital, crucial part of dialysis? Is it OK to leave this to physicians for whom dialysis is not foremost in their minds? Or should it be the other way around? Should nephrologists become part-time surgeons? If you’re thinking about these things and particularly if you are harbouring a hidden desire to do some surgical stuff on top of being a brainiac day in and day ou...

A Pinch of Salt today set sail very far away! We went to the other side of the Atlantic ocean, transversed a few thousand km or miles of land and finally got to Katherine Tuttle, from Washington USA, an eminent specialist on translational medicine who will « unconfuse » us on the « new drugs in nephrology » a series of innovative treatments or indications for currently existing ones. We‘ll talk about SGLT2 inhibitors, Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and many more! Because that's the objective of A Pinch of Salt! We are looking for common-sense answers to difficult clinically relevant questions. Our basic missio...

One of the most cheeky subjects in Nephrology is the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on the nutritional status of CKD patients.

It is cheeky because when it is not good it may kill the patient and also because it is one of the typical subjects that we « think » we know » but when we scratch a little bit we realise there are huge undiscovered avenues to explore.

In order to know a bit more about it, check on the new episode of the ERA podcast "A pinch of Salt" concerning Nutrition in CKD with prof Giorgina Pic...

Life expectancy is rising in most of the world and with it we have a rising number of elderly individuals in our society. We are used to the type of medicine that is best suited for younger patients – identify the disease, give the best and most effective treatment and cure the patient. However, in elderly individuals the goals might be completely different. Do you think we are going to far sometimes? Are we really treating the patient or are we sometimes just treating the numbers.  If you’re thinking about these things, you might be on the right track. We ha...

Do you want to know the name of the magic treatment?

A treatment that improves the endurance and the force of the patients ? A treatment that makes them feel better and less tired? A treatment that improves their autonomy, their capacities for the daily tasks and their quality of life?

A treatment that improves the blood pressure control, the lipid and metabolic profile? And all that for free? Without pills?

Do you want to know the name of this treatment? Come closer, I ‘ll share with you the secret! It is the physical ac...

Kidney stones are a most unpleasant disease. It’s also a dangerous disease, a disease that may cause CKD, a disease that can be linked to a higher cardiovascular risk, and even a potentially deadly disease with concomitant urinary tract infection. Should we, as nephrologists, be more involved in the treatment of these patients? How should we assess and treat patients with recurrent kidney stones? Does it really matter? If you’re thinking about these things, you’re on the right track. Learn all the tricks of the trade by listening to David Goldfarb on the Kidney Stone podcast. 

Let's share a secret! After a very long period in the desert of stagnating therapeutic options in nephrology, we are living lately one of the most exciting periods of its history. A large number of new treatments and drugs are already in practice or planned to be introduced to our therapeutic algorithms in the years to come. The volume of information arriving every day is huge. Diabetic nephropathy is a case study of this evolution and, rightfully so, a target of a large number of these new therapeutic options. So if you are a little bit lost with this...

There’s a new kid on the block and he can bang up cancer cells very effectively, but, he doesn’t like to discriminate and won’t think a bit about roughing up the kidney as well. This kid has a fancy name – immune checkpoint inhibitor. Oncologists are raving about it, but nephrologists are freaking out about it. How do we solve this mess? Can cancer patients keep receiving these medications even if they have renal adverse events? And what about transplant patients? If you’ve wondered about this yourself, then you’re in luck because we’ll be asking these a...