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.

Pan-African conference to focus on the rapid growth of diabetes in Africa

The Republic of Mauritius in collaboration with the World Health Organization Afro Region and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) today opened an International Conference on Diabetes & Associated Diseases in Port Louis, Mauritius to highlight their concern about the rapid growth of the diabetes epidemic throughout Africa. The conference will run from November 12 and end on November 14 – World Diabetes Day.

11 Nov 2009

Chronic kidney disease on the rise; preventive testing is critical for diabetic patients

New data confirms the rate of chronic kidney disease is inching upward, keeping pace with the rising rates of diabetes. In late September, the U.S. Renal Data System published its 2009 Annual Data report, which shows the incidence of chronic kidney disease in the U.S. Medicare population is now 9.8%, up from 8.7% reported in last year’s data analysis.

11 Nov 2009

Baxter International lauds new Medicare education benefit for chronic kidney disease patients

Baxter International Inc. commends the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on announcing implementation plans for a new Medicare benefit that will provide Stage 4 chronic kidney disease patients with coverage for up to six sessions explaining their treatment options, such as transplantation, home peritoneal dialysis (PD), home hemodialysis (HHD) or clinic-based hemodialysis (HD).

From Baxter International Inc. 10 Nov 2009

Lesser rates of kidney/pancreas transplants for African Americans: Is physician bias the reason?

Physician bias might be the reason why African Americans are not receiving kidney/pancreas transplants at the same rate as similar patients in other racial groups. Dr. Keith Melancon, director of kidney and pancreas transplantation at Georgetown University Hospital and associate professor of surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center, and colleagues explore this phenomenon in the November issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.

10 Nov 2009

Scientific article supports AEterna Zentaris' development of perifosine inhibitor

AEterna Zentaris Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company focused on endocrine therapy and oncology, today announced publication of a scientific article in the renowned Journal of Urology, supporting the development of the Company's PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor oral compound, perifosine, for the treatment of cancer.

9 Nov 2009

Webinar: Latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver, kidney and lung tumor ablation

Registration is now open for the Society of Interventional Radiology's "Image-guided Interventional Oncology (IO) Therapies" Webinar, which will provide the latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver tumors, kidney tumor ablation and lung tumor ablation.

7 Nov 2009

Research reveals new biological function of polycystins in regulating pressure sensing

What is the role of proteins called polycystins in patients with polycystic kidney disease? A team of researchers from CNRS and INSERM, led by Eric Honoré from the Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis/CNRS) has elucidated the molecular and cellular mechanisms linked to polycystin malfunctions that cause this common hereditary disease.

6 Nov 2009

Endothelin increases T cells in the kidneys leading to renal injury

A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both.

6 Nov 2009

Declining kidney function linked to higher risk of heart failure in individuals with or without kidney disease

Declining kidney function is linked to a higher risk of heart failure, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, and early death in individuals with or without kidney disease, according to a pair of studies appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

6 Nov 2009

Higher levels of phosphorus in blood linked to increased calcification of coronary arteries, says study

Higher levels of phosphorus in the blood are linked to increased calcification of the coronary arteries— a key marker of heart disease risk, according to a study in an upcoming issue of Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). "This may help to explain why even early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk that is not otherwise explained by traditional risk factors," comments Katherine R. Tuttle, MD (Providence Medical Research Center, Spokane, WA).

6 Nov 2009

Average cost of patient deaths much higher than patients who were discharged alive

One of every three people who died in 2007 in the United States were in the hospital for treatment at the time of their deaths, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost of their hospital stays was about $20 billion.

6 Nov 2009

Study finds oral dimercaptosuccinic acid effective in treating children with autism

Two studies published by the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in the October issue of BMC Clinical Pharmacology investigated the use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a prescription medicine approved by the FDA for treating lead poisoning, and used off-label in these studies for treating heavy metal toxicity in children with autism.

5 Nov 2009

Study demonstrates potential of human Serum Amyloid P to block very aggressive fibrotic pathology

Promedior, Inc., a leader in the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases and tissue remodeling, announced today the publication of results from preclinical studies demonstrating that human Serum Amyloid P (hSAP) potently inhibited fibrosis in two independent model systems of kidney fibrosis.

5 Nov 2009

Watson Pharmaceuticals announces third quarter 2009 financial results

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported net income of $63.0 million, or $0.55 per diluted share for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009. Excluding special items as detailed in the reconciliation table below, adjusted net income for the third quarter was $76.1 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, an increase of $22.1 million or 41 percent over the adjusted net income for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008. As detailed in the attached reconciliation table, adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter was $178.4 million.

4 Nov 2009

Avoiding foods high in AGE toxins can reduce inflammation and restore the body's natural defenses

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine report that cutting back on the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body's natural defenses regardless of age or health status. These benefits are present even without changing caloric or nutrient intake.

4 Nov 2009

TNF-alpha inhibitors ranked top for reducing biologics spend

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, forecasts that biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors stand to erode $9.6 billion in brand sales (Amgen's Enbrel, Abbott's Humira and Centocor Ortho Biotech/Schering-Plough's Remicade) in the U.S. and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and U.K.) by 2018. This use of TNF-alpha biosimilars will save healthcare systems in the U.S. and Europe $4 billion.

4 Nov 2009

Cutting back on the consumption of AGEs can reduce inflammation, report researchers

4 Nov 2009

New molecular pathway for preventing potassium from being excreted normally through kidney identified

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made an important discovery about why potassium builds up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream, a relatively common medical problem that affects about eight percent of hospitalized patients.

4 Nov 2009

No evidence found to link decreased physical activity and spike in obesity rates among U.S. adolescents

Decreased physical activity may have little to do with the recent spike in obesity rates among U.S. adolescents, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

3 Nov 2009

Lifestyle changes prevents type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for developing the disease: Study

Sustaining modest weight loss for 10 years, or taking an anti-diabetic drug over that time, can prevent or lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for developing the disease, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), a long-term follow-up to a landmark 2001 diabetes prevention study.

3 Nov 2009

Nephrology News and Research

Further Reading

Pan-African conference to focus on the rapid growth of diabetes in Africa

Chronic kidney disease on the rise; preventive testing is critical for diabetic patients

Baxter International lauds new Medicare education benefit for chronic kidney disease patients

Lesser rates of kidney/pancreas transplants for African Americans: Is physician bias the reason?

Scientific article supports AEterna Zentaris' development of perifosine inhibitor

Webinar: Latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver, kidney and lung tumor ablation

Research reveals new biological function of polycystins in regulating pressure sensing

Endothelin increases T cells in the kidneys leading to renal injury

Declining kidney function linked to higher risk of heart failure in individuals with or without kidney disease

Higher levels of phosphorus in blood linked to increased calcification of coronary arteries, says study

Average cost of patient deaths much higher than patients who were discharged alive

Study finds oral dimercaptosuccinic acid effective in treating children with autism

Study demonstrates potential of human Serum Amyloid P to block very aggressive fibrotic pathology

Watson Pharmaceuticals announces third quarter 2009 financial results

Avoiding foods high in AGE toxins can reduce inflammation and restore the body's natural defenses

TNF-alpha inhibitors ranked top for reducing biologics spend

Cutting back on the consumption of AGEs can reduce inflammation, report researchers

New molecular pathway for preventing potassium from being excreted normally through kidney identified

No evidence found to link decreased physical activity and spike in obesity rates among U.S. adolescents

Lifestyle changes prevents type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for developing the disease: Study

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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