Introduction to the Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress on Renal Nutrition and Metabolism

At the business meeting of the International Society for Renal Nutrition and Metabolism during the congress, elections were held. The new officers and the council members are as follows: President, William E. Mitch, MD; Immediate Past President, Walter H. Horl, MD, PhD; President-elect, John Walls, MD; Secretary/ Treasurer, George Kaysen, MD, PhD; Councillors, Gianfranco Guarnieri, MD, Mary Kay Hensley, MS, RD, William Keane, MD, Yoshimatsu Niwa, MD, Boleslaw Rutkowski, MD, PhD, and Sudhir Shah, MD; Ex officio Council Members, Joel D. Kopple, MD and Shaul G. Massry, MD: The Society’s Thomas Addis Award was given at the meeting to William E. Mitch, We are pleased to present the Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress on Renal Nutrition and Metabolism. The Ninth International Congress was held in Vienna, Austria from August 29 to September 1, 1998. The Chairmen of the Local Organizing Committee were Prof. Walter Horl and Prof. Wilfred Druml. As with the previous International Congresses, several hundred participants came from many nations and several continents. The proceedings of this meeting reflect much of the current areas of scientific inquiry in nephrology particularly with regard to the broad field of renal nutrition and metabolism. Much information and many innovative ideas were presented and discussed. The subject matter includes new information on appetite, the role of inflamMD. The enthusiasm of the participants, the high quality mation in the pathogenesis of malnutrition, in the development of atherosclerosis and in the association between of the data presented, and the rigor of the discussions have convinced the Council of the International Society malnutrition and morbidity and mortality, the role of other factors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in for Renal Nutrition and Metabolism that another meeting should be convened. Accordingly, the next Internachronic renal failure, the potential contributions of nutrients and growth factors to erythropoiesis and the hematotional Congress of this Society will take place on July 6–8, 2000 in Lyon, France. The presidents of this next poietic response to erythropoietin, mechanisms of uremic toxicity, and assessment and treatment of nutritional discongress are Professor Denis Fouque and Professor William E. Mitch. orders in chronic renal failure.