The first issue of NDT was published in 1986. In that issue, there were two reports by the ERA-EDTA Registry, five original articles, one technical report and one case report. It was a slow start, but with time, the first Editor of the journal, Professor Alexander (Sandy) Davison, fully succeeded in transforming the Proceedings of the ERA-EDTA into a successful nephrology journal. When he passed the torch to Professor Eberhard Ritz in 1992, NDT was a much-read journal, respected by all European nephrologists and the strongest competitor to Kidney International for the leadership among nephrology journals. Professor Ritz enriched the journal with novel educational features, editorials, agile reviews and other features which made it the most enjoyable renal journal of its time. The subsequent Editors, Professor Tilman Drueke and Professor Norbert Lameire, further improved the international standing of the journal. Both refined the personality of NDT, making it a versatile repository of a wide range of scientific contents that were directly or indirectly relevant to the research of kidney diseases and the care of renal patients. Ritz’s mantra, that NDT should aim for the best scientific and educational quality rather than being governed by the IF-chasing Pavlovian reflex--which dominated other journals--remained a distinctive trait of NDT, whose impact factor (IF) nonetheless has gradually ascended to 3.6 under Lameire’s lead. Thanks to the talents and efforts of these four Editors Emeriti, NDT is now a robust editorial enterprise and …

Read more: