Cynthia Delgado, MD

Professor

My emerging research program is at a crossroads of chronic kidney disease, quality of life and outcomes related research. CKD is a major public health issue and its prevalence is expected to grow at an alarming rate in the United States. Frailty has been shown to be more common among individuals with CKD than among those with normal kidney function. There are no current therapies that adequately address frailty in CKD, resulting in a major burden of morbidity, mortality and cost. I hope to create a body of work that will lay the foundation for addressing these major outcomes.

Education
Clinical Fellowship, - , University of California, San Francisco
Honors and Awards
  • Top 100 Most Influential People in Health, Time Magazine, 2024
  • Garabed Eknoyan Award, National Kidney Foundation, 2023
  • Mid-Career Leadership Award, American Society of Nephrology, 2021
Publications

  1. Niyyar VD, Beathard GA, McLennan G, Sparks MA, Bryant K, Delgado C, Jefferson N, Kessler J, Leigh K, Stark S, Roy-Chaudhury P. Transforming Dialysis Access Together (TDAT): a Multi-Disciplinary, Cross Cutting, Patient Centered Initiative. Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN 2024. PMID: 39141434


  2. Delgado C, Powe NR, Chertow GM, Grimes B, Johansen KL. Muscle Mass and Serum Creatinine Concentration by Race and Ethnicity Among Hemodialysis Patients. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2023. PMID: 37822022


  3. Eckardt KU, Delgado C, Heerspink HJL, Pecoits-Filho R, Ricardo AC, Stengel B, Tonelli M, Cheung M, Jadoul M, Winkelmayer WC, Kramer H, Conference Participants. Trends and perspectives for improving quality of chronic kidney disease care: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference. Kidney international 2023. PMID: 37245565


  4. Ku E, Del Vecchio L, Eckardt KU, Haase VH, Johansen KL, Nangaku M, Tangri N, Waikar SS, Wiecek A, Cheung M, Jadoul M, Winkelmayer WC, Wheeler DC, for Conference Participants. Novel Anemia Therapies in Chronic Kidney Disease: Conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference. Kidney international 2023. PMID: 37236424


  5. Delgado C, Powe NR. Cystatin C-Based Equation to Estimate GFR without Race and Sex. The New England journal of medicine 2023. PMID: 37133598


  6. Delgado C. Author Reply: GFR, Race, and Implications. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2023. PMID: 37000955


  7. Alvarado F, Delgado C, Nicholas SB, Jaure A, Cervantes L. Qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives on engaging Latinx patients in kidney-related research. BMC nephrology 2023. PMID: 36991364


  8. Alvarado F, Aklilu A, Powe NR, Vart P, Delgado C. Diversity in Studies Developing Kidney Function Estimating Equations: Improving Representation, Interpretation, and Utility of Clinical Research. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2022. PMID: 35842013


  9. Aklilu A, Delgado C. The removal of race from kidney function estimation: Key points for primary providers. 2022. PMID: 35595580


  10. Delgado C, Powe NR. Resolving the Debate: The Future of Using Race in Estimating Kidney Function. Advances in chronic kidney disease 2022. PMID: 35690404


  11. Delgado C, Chiang JM, Kittiskulnam P, Sheshadri A, Grimes B, Segal M, Kaysen GA, Johansen KL. Longitudinal Assessment of Body Composition and Its Association With Survival Among Participants of the ACTIVE/ADIPOSE Study. 2021. PMID: 34930665


  12. Delgado C, Baweja M, Crews D, Eneanya N, Gadegbeku C, Inker L, Mendu M, Miller WG, Moxey-Mims M, Roberts G, St Peter W, Warfield C, Powe N. A Unifying Approach for GFR Estimation: Recommendations of the NKF-ASN Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Disease. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2021. PMID: 34556489


  13. Delgado C, Baweja M, Crews DC, Eneanya ND, Gadegbeku CA, Inker LA, Mendu ML, Miller WG, Moxey-Mims MM, Roberts GV, St Peter WL, Warfield C, Powe NR. A Unifying Approach for GFR Estimation: Recommendations of the NKF-ASN Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Disease. 2021. PMID: 34563581


  14. Sheshadri A, Kittiskulnam P, Delgado C, Sudore RL, Lai JC, Johansen KL. Association of Cognitive Function Screening Results with Adherence and Performance in a Pedometer-Based Intervention. American journal of nephrology 2021. PMID: 33979802


  15. Delgado C, Baweja M, Burrows NR, Crews DC, Eneanya ND, Gadegbeku CA, Inker LA, Mendu ML, Miller WG, Moxey-Mims MM, Roberts GV, St Peter WL, Warfield C, Powe NR. Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases: An Interim Report From the NKF-ASN Task Force. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2021. PMID: 33845065


  16. Delgado C, Baweja M, Burrows NR, Crews DC, Eneanya ND, Gadegbeku CA, Inker LA, Mendu ML, Miller WG, Moxey-Mims MM, Roberts GV, St Peter WL, Warfield C, Powe NR. Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases: An Interim Report from the NKF-ASN Task Force. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2021. PMID: 33837122


  17. Alvarado F, Crews DC, Delgado C, Neyra JA. International Medical Graduates in Nephrology: Impressions of the Implications of Visa Status in a Cohort of Program Directors and Division Chiefs. Kidney Medicine 2021. PMID: 34136791


  18. Delgado C, Johansen KL. Revisiting serum creatinine as an indicator of muscle mass and a predictor of mortality among patients on hemodialysis. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association 2020. PMID: 33275759


  19. Chiang JM, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Segal MR, Chertow GM, Johansen KL. Correlates and Consequences of High Serum Irisin Concentration in Patients on Hemodialysis: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2020. PMID: 33262071


  20. Matsuzawa R, Suzuki Y, Yamamoto S, Harada M, Watanabe T, Shimoda T, Yoshida A, Delgado C, Tamaki A, Matsunaga A, Roshanravan B. Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Performance-Based Components of Frailty in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2020. PMID: 32981832


  21. Sheshadri A, Kittiskulnam P, Delgado C, Sudore R, Lai JC, Johansen KL. Association of motivations and barriers with participation and performance in a pedometer-based intervention. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association 2020. PMID: 32437568


  22. Delgado C. Frailty and CKD: Chicken or the Egg? Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN 2019. PMID: 31628119


  23. Chiang JM, Kaysen GA, Segal M, Chertow GM, Delgado C, Johansen KL. Low testosterone is associated with frailty, muscle wasting and physical dysfunction among men receiving hemodialysis: a longitudinal analysis. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association 2018. PMID: 30085235


  24. Johansen KL, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Chertow GM, Chiang J, Dalrymple LS, Segal MR, Grimes BA. Frailty among patients receiving hemodialysis: evolution of components and associations with mortality. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 2018. PMID: 30192916


  25. Chiang JM, Kaysen GA, Schafer AL, Delgado C, Johansen KL. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 is Associated With Adiposity in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: Possible Cross Talk Between Bone and Adipose Tissue. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2018. PMID: 29606304


  26. Kaysen GA, Grimes B, Dalrymple LS, Chertow GM, Ishida JH, Delgado C, Segal M, Chiang J, Dwyer T, Johansen KL. Associations of lipoproteins with cardiovascular and infection-related outcomes in patients receiving hemodialysis. Journal of clinical lipidology 2017. PMID: 29361496


  27. Delgado C, Chertow GM, Kaysen GA, Dalrymple LS, Kornak J, Grimes B, Johansen KL. Associations of Body Mass Index and Body Fat With Markers of Inflammation and Nutrition Among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2017. PMID: 28870376


  28. Lee BJ, McCulloch CE, Grimes BA, Chandran S, Allen IE, Delgado C, Hsu CY. Refining the Policy for Timing of Kidney Transplant Waitlist Qualification. Transplantation direct 2017. PMID: 28795146


  29. Johansen KL, Dalrymple LS, Delgado C, Chertow GM, Segal MR, Chiang J, Grimes B, Kaysen GA. Factors Associated with Frailty and Its Trajectory among Patients on Hemodialysis. Volume 12 of Issue 7. Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN 2017. PMID: 28576906


  30. Kittiskulnam P, Chertow GM, Carrero JJ, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Johansen KL. Sarcopenia and its individual criteria are associated, in part, with mortality among patients on hemodialysis. Kidney international 2017. PMID: 28318630


  31. Kittiskulnam P, Carrero JJ, Chertow GM, Kaysen GA, Delgado C, Johansen KL. Sarcopenia among patients receiving hemodialysis: weighing the evidence. Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle 2016. PMID: 27897415


  32. Johansen KL, Dalrymple LS, Glidden D, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Grimes B, Chertow GM. Association of Performance-Based and Self-Reported Function-Based Definitions of Frailty with Mortality among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis. Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN 2016. PMID: 26792529


  33. Delgado C, Grimes BA, Glidden DV, Shlipak M, Sarnak MJ, Johansen KL. Association of Frailty based on self-reported physical function with directly measured kidney function and mortality. BMC nephrology 2015. PMID: 26645070


  34. Kittiskulnam P, Chertow GM, Kaysen GA, Delgado C, Dalrymple LS, Johansen KL. Misclassification of Obesity by Body Mass Index Among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2015. PMID: 26612278


  35. Molfino A, Kaysen GA, Chertow GM, Doyle J, Delgado C, Dwyer T, Laviano A, Rossi Fanelli F, Johansen KL. Validating Appetite Assessment Tools Among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2015. PMID: 26522141


  36. Delgado C, Shieh S, Grimes B, Chertow GM, Dalrymple LS, Kaysen GA, Kornak J, Johansen KL. Association of Self-Reported Frailty with Falls and Fractures among Patients New to Dialysis. American journal of nephrology 2015. PMID: 26381744


  37. Wanga S, Ceron CS, Delgado C, Joshi SK, Spaulding K, Walker JP, Song S, Olson JL, Lovett DH. Two Distinct Isoforms of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Are Associated with Human Delayed Kidney Graft Function. Volume 10 of Issue 9. PloS one 2015. PMID: 26379248


  38. Joshi SK, Lee L, Lovett DH, Kang H, Kim HT, Delgado C, Liu X. Novel intracellular N-terminal truncated matrix metalloproteinase-2 isoform in skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury. Volume 34 of Issue 3. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society 2015. PMID: 26213293


  39. Dalrymple LS, Mu Y, Romano PS, Nguyen DV, Chertow GM, Delgado C, Grimes B, Kaysen GA, Johansen KL. Outcomes of infection-related hospitalization in Medicare beneficiaries receiving in-center hemodialysis. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2015. PMID: 25641061


  40. Johansen KL, Painter P, Delgado C, Doyle J. Characterization of physical activity and sitting time among patients on hemodialysis using a new physical activity instrument. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2014. PMID: 25213326


  41. Johansen KL, Dalrymple LS, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Kornak J, Grimes B, Chertow GM. Comparison of self-report-based and physical performance-based frailty definitions among patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2014. PMID: 24793033


  42. Delgado C, Ward P, Chertow GM, Storer L, Dalrymple L, Block T, Kaysen GA, Kornak J, Grimes B, Kutner NG, Johansen KL. Calibration of the brief food frequency questionnaire among patients on dialysis. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2014. PMID: 24613023


  43. Johansen KL, Dalrymple LS, Delgado C, Kaysen GA, Kornak J, Grimes B, Chertow GM. Association between body composition and frailty among prevalent hemodialysis patients: a US Renal Data System special study. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2013. PMID: 24158987


  44. Delgado C, Frassetto L. Hip fractures in hemodialysis patients. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2013. PMID: 24054940


  45. Johansen KL, Delgado C, Bao Y, Kurella Tamura M. Frailty and dialysis initiation. Seminars in dialysis 2013. PMID: 24004376


  46. Delgado C, Doyle JW, Johansen KL. Association of frailty with body composition among patients on hemodialysis. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 2013. PMID: 23648049


  47. Delgado C, Johansen KL. Barriers to exercise participation among dialysis patients. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association 2011. PMID: 21795245


  48. Delgado C, Johansen KL. Deficient counseling on physical activity among nephrologists. Nephron. Clinical practice 2010. PMID: 20664289