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.

EU approves Forxiga for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced that the European Commission has approved Forxiga (dapagliflozin) tablets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the European Union. Forxiga is a selective and reversible inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) that works independently of insulin to help remove excess glucose from the body, a unique mode of action not seen in any other currently available treatments for type 2 diabetes.

15 Nov 2012

Hospitals directed to step up protections for kidney donors

Addressing long-held concerns about whether organ donors have adequate protections, the country's transplant regulators acted late Monday to require that hospitals thoroughly inform living kidney donors of the risks they face, fully evaluate their medical and psychological suitability, and then track their health for two years after donation.

15 Nov 2012

Surgeon volume influences patient outcomes following rectal resection

The volume of operations a surgeon performs affects both short- and long-term patient outcomes following resection for rectal carcinoma, show data from a German hospital.

14 Nov 2012

Tolvaptan improves kidney health in polycystic kidney disease

A vasopressin V2-receptor blocker slows the increase in total kidney volume and decline in kidney function in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, report US researchers.

12 Nov 2012

Weight-based ribavirin undertreats African–American HCV patients

African–Americans with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infections have lower ribavirin plasma exposures than Caucasian Americans when treated with weight-based ribavirin plus peginterferon.

12 Nov 2012

White kidney cancer patients have a survival advantage over blacks

Among patients with the most common form of kidney cancer, whites consistently have a survival advantage over blacks, regardless of patient and tumor characteristics or surgical treatment.

12 Nov 2012

Mindful eating reduces weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes

Eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to nutrition-based guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

9 Nov 2012

CHOP presents new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at AHA 2012

Physician-researchers from the Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia presented new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012 in Los Angeles.

9 Nov 2012

New communication training could help nephrology fellows to discuss serious news with patients

Kidney specialists, or nephrologists, care for a medically complex population and frequently must discuss serious news with patients: giving a diagnosis of kidney disease, explaining the risks and benefits of treatments, and defining care goals at the end of life. Yet nephrologists do not routinely receive formal education on how to engage in these types of conversations.

9 Nov 2012

Patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis tend to have high suPAR levels

Patients with a disease that is a leading cause of kidney failure tend to have high levels of a particular factor circulating in their blood, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

9 Nov 2012

Glycemic load raises colon cancer recurrence risk

Increased glycemic loads and high carbohydrate consumption may increase the risk for colon cancer recurrence, show the results of a US study.

8 Nov 2012

Coffee hastens bowel recovery after colectomy

Individuals undergoing an elective open or laparoscopic colectomy recover bowel function more quickly if they drink coffee than if they drink water after the procedure, indicate the results of a German study.

8 Nov 2012

Many patients over-optimistic about palliative chemotherapy

A majority of advanced colorectal and lung cancer patients in the USA may not understand that chemotherapy is unlikely to cure them, according to the results of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Nov 2012

Surgery-free ileostomy removal shows promise

Temporary percutaneous ileostomy following rectal resection is as effective at preventing anastomotic leakage as conventional loop ileostomy, show the results of an Italian study.

8 Nov 2012

Metformin more effective than sulfonylurea in controlling type 2 diabetes

A Vanderbilt study examining the impact of the two most commonly prescribed oral diabetes medications on the risk for heart attack, stroke and death has found the drug metformin has benefits over sulfonylurea drugs.

8 Nov 2012

WU researchers to study blood-clotting disorders

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $9 million grant to investigate blood-clotting disorders. From heart attacks and strokes to uncontrolled bleeding, clotting disorders cause more deaths each year in the United States than all types of cancer combined.

7 Nov 2012

Scientists show how sorafenib can be dangerous to the heart

Scientists for the first time have evidence showing how a widely used type of "targeted" cancer drug can be dangerous to the heart.

7 Nov 2012

Excessive turnover of placental cells may trigger unnatural increase in blood pressure

Excessive turnover of cells in the placenta may trigger an unnatural increase in blood pressure that puts mother and baby at risk, researchers say.

7 Nov 2012

Heart disease risk factors widespread among Hispanic/Latino adults in the U.S.

Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS-SOL) - which will be presented at the American Heart Association Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 and published in the Nov. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) - finds heart disease risk factors are widespread among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States.

7 Nov 2012

Lexicon announces data from LX4211 Phase 2b trial on type 2 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that data from the Phase 2b clinical trial of LX4211 are being presented today as a Clinical Sciences Special Report in the Emerging Therapeutics for Diabetes and Dyslipidemia section of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Conference held in Los Angeles, California.

7 Nov 2012