Nephrology News and Research

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Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.

No added benefit from linagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Linagliptin has been approved since August 2011 to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The assessment of the new dossier according to the German Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) again showed that no added benefit of the drug over the appropriate comparator therapy (ACT) can be determined, because the pharmaceutical company has not submitted any relevant studies.

31 Jan 2013

CKD may raise risk of mortality and end stage renal disease for both men and women

A new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC) found that in general chronic kidney disease is similarly associated with a higher risk of death and end stage renal disease for both women and men. The findings were released online in advance of publication in BMJ.

31 Jan 2013

IL-13 protein could be the key to development of fibrosis in Crohn's disease

New research has shown that a protein, known as IL-13, could be the key to the development of fibrosis in Crohn's disease. This breakthrough could help to advance new medicines to treat people suffering with the disease.

30 Jan 2013

ALDH1 expression predicts outcome in node-negative rectal cancer

Expression of the cancer stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 is an independent predictor for poor prognosis in node-negative rectal cancer, researchers say.

30 Jan 2013

Sydney 2012 norovirus strain continues to spread globally

A new strain of norovirus known as Sydney 2012 has caused a significant number of acute outbreaks of the infection during the 2012–2013 winter season and continues to spread worldwide.

30 Jan 2013

Some second trimester markers for Down’s syndrome more telling than others

A new analysis has found that some second trimester markers for Down’s syndrome that are detected by ultrasound are more telling than others. Published early online in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study’s results will help adjust pregnant women’s risks for having a child with the condition.

30 Jan 2013

Phenformin decreases size of lung tumors and increases survival in mice

Ever since discovering a decade ago that a gene altered in lung cancer regulated an enzyme used in therapies against diabetes, Reuben Shaw has wondered if drugs originally designed to treat metabolic diseases could also work against cancer.

30 Jan 2013

Tacrolimus breast milk transfer concerns allayed

Breastfeeding mothers taking tacrolimus do not pass the immunosuppressant on to their babies when breastfeeding, study results show.

29 Jan 2013

NSAIDs pose kidney risk in some children

A small but significant percentage of children develop acute kidney injury after taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, show study findings published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

29 Jan 2013

Dual-hormone artificial pancreas shows promise against type 1 diabetes

IRCM researchers, led by endocrinologist Dr. R-mi Rabasa-Lhoret, were the first to conduct a trial comparing a dual-hormone artificial pancreas with conventional diabetes treatment using an insulin pump and showed improved glucose levels and lower risks of hypoglycemia.

29 Jan 2013

Minimally invasive islet transplantation reverses progression of atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics

Minimally invasive islet transplantation for patients with type 1 diabetes achieves insulin independence and reverses the progression of atherosclerosis in the first few years after transplant, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago study.

29 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: Debating P4P; ‘Tactical retreat' by GOP; The virtues of across-the-board spending cuts

Instead of granting automatic pay increases, N.Y. City's public hospital system will pay them based on how well they reduce costs, increase patient satisfaction and improve the quality of care. The Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the city's 11 public hospitals, deserves praise for an ambitious proposal that will need to be refined as it is put into practice.

28 Jan 2013

Cancer risk independent of folic acid supplementation

Folic acid supplementation does not increase or decrease the risk for cancer, suggests research published in The Lancet.

28 Jan 2013

Rotavirus vaccination in children impacts on adults

Vaccinating children against rotavirus should be encouraged, say researchers, following findings that the prevalence of the disease has recently halved among unvaccinated adults in the USA.

28 Jan 2013

Shorter surveillance intervals detect HCC earlier

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in at-risk patients at intervals of less than 6 months picks up smaller tumors compared with longer intervals, show two recently published studies.

28 Jan 2013

Hypertensive pregnancies need rigorous follow up

Women who have hypertensive complications during pregnancy are at increased risk for developing chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, shows a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

28 Jan 2013

Lawmakers target fiscal cliff's provision aiding Amgen for elimination

The fiscal cliff legislation approved earlier this month excluded Amgen's Sensipar, which is used by kidney dialysis patients, from Medicare price controls for an additional two years.

28 Jan 2013

Paper says hospitals that do treat patients with anemia have better outcomes

Up to one-third of patients undergoing surgery in Ontario have a treatable form of anemia but are not optimally treated for it.

28 Jan 2013

Daily antibacterial baths can safely reduce risk of bloodstream infections in critically ill children

Daily baths with an ordinary antibacterial cleanser can safely reduce the risk of dangerous bloodstream infections in critically ill children, according to a trial conducted in five pediatric hospitals and led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

28 Jan 2013

IRHOM2-targeted drugs can effectively treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a potential new target for drugs to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a protein known as IRHOM2. The finding could provide an effective and potentially less toxic alternative therapy to tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers (TNF-blockers), the mainstay of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and could help patients who do not respond to this treatment. Efforts to develop drugs that hone in on this new target are underway.

28 Jan 2013