A pinch of salt - A podcast by ERA

This is “A pinch of salt” live from the 63rd ERA Congress! Recorded straight out of a packed Clyde Plenary Room: six trials, ninety minutes! Hugo Diniz, the new podcast host, brings you rapid-fire expert commentary with two titans of European nephrology, Alberto Ortiz and Danilo Fliser. On the menu — a brand-new CKD drug class (nurandociguat), what patients actually feel on semaglutide (FLOW sub-a...

Are we all about to be replaced by chatbots? Probably not — but is there a risk of Gen-AI acute tubular necrosis for those who don't adapt? Hugo Diniz is joined by Wisit Cheungpasitporn to demystify what generative AI can actually do, expose what it definitely can't (yet), and make it approachable for every working nephrologist. From automating those soul-crushing clinic notes to navigat...

For decades, treating IgA nephropathy meant looking thoughtful while saying "let's optimise supportive care and monitor closely." Not anymore. We've gone from one road to a full therapeutic roundabout, and nobody wants the wrong exit. Hugo Diniz welcomes Vlado Perkovic to navigate the new era: anti-APRIL and anti-BAFF agents, the VISIONARY and ORIGIN data, and the 2025 KDIGO fr...

In this episode Maria Jose Soler Romeo joins us to break down the shifting landscape of MRAs and Aldosterone Synthase Inhibition. We’ll cover the central role of aldosterone as a central culprit in inflammation and renal fibrosis, how the rise of non-steroidal MRAs is helping clinicians bypass traditional roadblocks like hyperkalemia and the future of slowing CKD progression through precision medi...

In this episode we are joined by Peter Stenvinkel to discuss why Chronic Kidney Disease is increasingly recognized as a state of "fast-forward" aging.  We dive into: The "Inflammaging" Factor- How chronic low-grade inflammation acts as a silent driver of vascular disease and frailty, the cellular Senescence: Exploring the gut-kidney axis and the "zombie cells" that st...

In the 75th episode of A Pinch of Salt we'll be talking about narrative-based medicine, a topic that is not specific to nephrology, but it should be a core topic that is deeply involved in practicing patient-friendly clinical medicine. In medical schools we are taught extensively on how to get information from patients about their symptoms and signs, which will help us develop a differential...

In this episode, we explore the reality of clinical practice. It’s relatively easy to be a doctor when everything goes according to plan, but what happens when things get complicated? That’s where true experience comes into play. Join us as Sana F. Khan shares valuable insights on how to tackle Peritoneal Dialysis complications and build confidence in challenging situations.

In this episode, Karlien François helps us dismantle the barriers to Peritoneal Dialysis. From structural challenges to patient perceptions, she introduces a practical “solution toolbox” designed to make PD a more accessible and flexible therapy for CKD patients worldwide. It’s time to turn obstacles into opportunities.

In this episode, we step into the future of transplantation with Valentin Goutaudier. Discover how precision diagnostics and artificial intelligence are coming together to enable more personalised, proactive care for renal transplant recipients and what this means for the future of medicine.

In this episode we will be talking with Thomas Rimmele, an expert in treating acute kidney injury in the ICU, about the role of the new extracorporeal adsorption techniques in ICU patients. We’ll be discussing who are the candidates, when to start treatment, how long should a single session last, how long should we continue doing it, which parameters to check to see if we are successful or not and...

In this episode we’ll be talking to Tamara Jemcov, the current president of the Vascular Access Society, about novelties in the field of vascular access. If you haven’t checked out the programme from the last Vascular Access Congress which was held in 2025 Padova, you should take look. The field is really expanding and growing, and Tamara discussed the new approaches that were presented at the Con...

In this very interesting episode with Thomas Wilkinson we talk about sarcopenia — its prevalence, the outcomes associated with it, the available tools for screening and assessment, the most effective interventions, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to care.

Join A pinch of salt, as we sit down with David Jayne to trace the rapid transformation of ANCA-associated vasculitis care. From the historic cyclophosphamide–glucocorticoid backbone to biologics like rituximab and newer targeted strategies such as complement inhibition (including avacopan), this episode unpacks how clinicians can balance efficacy, safety, and quality of life—while looking ahead t...

In this episode of A pinch of salt, we welcome Pierre Delanaye for a forward-looking discussion on how we should assess kidney function in 2026. Together, we explore the strengths and limits of today’s GFR equations (MDRD, CKD-EPI, cystatin C-based approaches), the promise of emerging biomarkers and AI-driven tools, and the crucial question of fairness and accuracy across diverse populations.

In this episode of A pinch of salt we’ll be talking to Paul Cockwell about patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice. You may or may not be aware of these issues and their importance but one might argue, and we certainly would, that every doctor should be mindful of what their patients consider to be an important outcome and whether they are achieving it or not. Paul is a champion of this fie...

In this episode of A pinch of salt, Beatriz Sanchez Alamo will talk about tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), the Cinderella of nephrology, a beautiful and interesting topic that is not easily noticeable in congresses and webinars. Some recent data looking at long-term prognosis has shown that patients with TIN might have a long-term prognosis that is comparable to lupus nephritis and ANCA vasculi...

In this episode of A pinch of salt, Shuchi Anand will talk about chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology, the mysterious kidney disease that is devastating some agricultural communities in hot environments. Dr Anand will talk about what might be causing this disease, does a kidney biopsy help, is it mandatory, and how to treat these patients both on the individual level and on the population le...

In this episode of A pinch of salt, Allon N. Friedman will talk about possibly the hottest topic in medicine at this moment – the treatment of obesity, with a particular focus on treating the CKD population. Obesity is finally being recognized as a disease and not merely an unfortunate, somewhat shameful consequence of personalities with weak minds and lack of willpower. But how do we treat it? Do...

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,...