A recent study, supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK),  found the combination of aspirin and the anti-platelet drug, dipyridamole, can significantly reduce blockages and extend the life of artery-vein access grafts used for hemodialysis.

Artery-vein access grafts, called ateriovenous (AV) grafts, fail mainly due to narrowing of blood vessels at the graft site and clotting. A blocked graft cannot be used for hemodialysis and poses a health risk for dialysis patients. The study discovered the combination of aspirin and dipyridamole decreased the loss of graft use by 18 percent and the rate of developing stenosis by 28 percent.
 
This new therapy significantly prolongs the viability of AV grafts. Researchers plan on using this information to develop therapies to improve the lives of dialysis patients.

This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Renal Flash.