Kidney News and Research

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Pig kidney xenotransplantation offers a bridge for patients awaiting human donor kidneys

In January 2026, Tim Andrews, who had received a genetically edited pig kidney in January 2025, became the recipient of a human kidney.

3 Sep 2026

As life expectancy rises, healthy aging is more important than ever

Global disease burden is shifting toward aging-related conditions as people live longer, with these diseases now representing the largest expected lifetime health burden for newborns across all income groups. Modeling suggests that reducing aging-related disease could produce unusually large and progressively greater gains in both longevity and healthy life expectancy because improvements in survival and health reinforce one another.

3 Sep 2026

Semaglutide extended lifespan in older female mice, but that was not the only finding

Late-life semaglutide treatment slowed age-related physiological decline, attenuated multiple molecular hallmarks of aging, and extended median lifespan from 742 to 834 days in aged female mice. The drug reproduced many effects of calorie restriction while providing additional benefits in exploratory behavior, spatial memory, and glucose control, suggesting that some effects extend beyond reduced calorie intake alone.

3 Sep 2026

Increasing Canadian wildfires jeopardize critical care for dialysis patients

In the midst of another intense wildfire season, a new study sheds light on the risks they pose to life-sustaining dialysis care for thousands of Canadians.

3 Sep 2026

Too little or too much testosterone may matter for heart rhythm

A review of clinical trials, observational studies, genetic analyses, and mechanistic research suggests that atrial fibrillation risk may follow a U-shaped relationship with testosterone, increasing at both low and high levels. Evidence on testosterone replacement therapy remains mixed, with researchers calling for prospective studies to determine whether mid-physiological testosterone targets and treatment formulation influence AF risk.

2 Sep 2026

AI learned from cardiologists’ notes, and needed far less labeled ECG data

By teaching an AI system to connect raw heart signals with the clinical insights contained in cardiologists’ reports, researchers tested whether routine ECGs could reveal more with far fewer labeled examples.

2 Sep 2026

ECG-CLIP improves heart disease detection using less labeled data

Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest and limbs to record the heart's electrical activity.

1 Sep 2026

Certain diabetes patients face higher ketoacidosis risk with SGLT2 drugs

Patients with type 2 diabetes who have high blood glucose levels, low body weight, or a history of ketoacidosis are at increased risk of developing this serious condition when treated with so-called SGLT2 inhibitors.

1 Sep 2026

Study identifies three distinct BMI trajectories among people with type 2 diabetes

A recent study by the University of Eastern Finland identified three distinct body mass index (BMI) trajectories among people with type 2 diabetes.

1 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs have benefits beyond weight loss. Could microdoses preserve them?

A narrative review suggests GLP-1-based therapies deliver metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and other systemic benefits, raising interest in whether lower fractional doses could improve tolerability and treatment continuity. However, direct evidence for GLP-1 microdosing remains extremely limited, and researchers say prospective studies are needed to determine whether lower doses preserve long-term benefits.

1 Sep 2026

Near-real-time data tracks health impacts during heat waves

As summer heat waves grow longer and more dangerous, public health officials often must wait months to learn who and how many people were harmed.

31 Aug 2026

New dual-drug strategy blocks triple-negative breast cancer growth

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a frustrating ability to adapt. Although this aggressive form of breast cancer can initially respond well to chemotherapy, cancer cells often find ways to survive, allowing the disease to return and become resistant to treatment.

31 Aug 2026

New tool predicts heart failure treatment effects on blood pressure, kidney function and serum potassium

A new heart failure (HF) treatment effect calculator could help overcome one of the largest barriers to effective heart failure care by predicting the expected effects of treatment on blood pressure, kidney function and potassium levels.

31 Aug 2026

Functional angiography outperforms conventional imaging in AIR-STEMI trial

Functional coronary angiography significantly reduced cardiovascular events and improved safety compared with conventional angiography in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease.

29 Aug 2026

Trial shows antiplatelet therapy needs personalization after stent implantation

Antiplatelet monotherapy reduced bleeding but dual therapy provided greater cardiovascular event protection in patients at high ischemic risk who had undergone stent implantation 12 months earlier.

29 Aug 2026

Investigational anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody achieves durable inflammatory biomarker reductions

The investigational anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody pacibekitug produced sustained reductions in inflammation-related biomarkers through six months in patients with chronic kidney disease and elevated inflammatory risk associated with heart disease.

29 Aug 2026

Pacibekitug safely reduces inflammatory biomarkers in kidney disease patients

The interleukin-6 (IL-6) antibody, pacibekitug, produced sustained reductions in inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic kidney disease at high inflammatory risk, according to results from the phase II TRANQUILITY trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2026.

29 Aug 2026