Potassium News and Research

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Riluzole ‘a candidate treatment’ for cerebellar ataxia

Riluzole may be an effective treatment for cerebellar ataxia, say researchers who call for further studies to confirm their findings.

9 Sep 2015

Resin contains substances that may cure epilepsy, say Linköping University researchers

Sticky resin from conifers contains substances that could relieve or cure epilepsy. Researchers at Linköping University have synthesized and tested 71 substances known as resin acids, of which twelve are prime candidates for new medicines.

9 Sep 2015

Study demonstrates effectiveness of new approach to protect humans from infectious disease

There are two common approaches to protecting humans from infectious disease: Targeting pathogens and parasites with medicines like antibiotics, or dealing with the conditions that allow transmission.

8 Sep 2015

Scientists identify new mechanism for severe early infant epilepsy

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden have discovered a new explanation for severe early infant epilepsy. Mutations in the gene encoding the protein KCC2 can cause the disease, hereby confirming an earlier theory.

3 Sep 2015

Finerenone drug improves albuminuria among patients with diabetes and kidney disease

Among patients with diabetes and kidney disease, most receiving an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker, the addition of the medication finerenone compared with placebo resulted in improvement in albuminuria (the presence of excessive protein [chiefly albumin] in the urine), according to a study in the September 1 issue of JAMA.

2 Sep 2015

Sanofi terminates option and license agreement for Ardelyx's portfolio of NaP2b inhibitors

Ardelyx, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on gastrointestinal and cardio-renal diseases, today announced that Sanofi notified Ardelyx of its termination of the option and license agreement for Ardelyx's portfolio of NaP2b inhibitors effective September 30, 2015.

2 Sep 2015

Finerenone effective in heart failure patients with diabetes and/or chronic kidney disease

In heart failure patients with diabetes and/or chronic kidney disease, a new, non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) called finerenone was no more effective than the currently approved MRA eplerenone in reducing the heart failure biomarker N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP].

1 Sep 2015

PATHWAY 3 study: Half dose combination of common diuretics reduces blood pressure

The combination of two commonly used diuretics, each at half dose, can significantly reduce blood pressure without the side-effects caused by full doses of either alone, researchers from the PATHWAY 3 study have found.

31 Aug 2015

MRA therapy does not improve outcome in heart attack patients without heart failure

Heart attack patients without heart failure derive no benefit from the addition of mineralocortoid receptor antagonists (MRA), to standard therapy, results of the ALBATROSS study show.

31 Aug 2015

Pitt researchers identify molecular mechanisms behind resilience to tinnitus, possible drug therapy

Researchers have identified in an animal model the molecular mechanisms behind resilience to noise-induced tinnitus and a possible drug therapy that could reduce susceptibility to this chronic and sometimes debilitating condition. The findings by a team from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine were published online in the journal eLife.

28 Aug 2015

Researchers find potential targets to improve sleep in patients with fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain from no clear source. Patients with fibromyalgia frequently have sleep problems: Their deep sleep brain wave patterns are often disrupted by brain waves that correspond to wakefulness.

20 Aug 2015

Study reports results of genetic testing for 22 genetic causes of neonatal diabetes

Over a 10 year period, the time that babies receive genetic testing after being diagnosed with diabetes has fallen from over four years to under two months. Pinpointing the exact genetic causes of sometimes rare forms of diabetes is revolutionising healthcare for these patients.

18 Aug 2015

Neuroscientist discovers how animal's biological clock wakes up, goes to sleep

Fifteen years ago, an odd mutant fruit fly caught the attention and curiosity of Dr. Ravi Allada, a circadian rhythms expert at Northwestern University, leading the neuroscientist to recently discover how an animal's biological clock wakes it up in the morning and puts it to sleep at night.

14 Aug 2015

New research could help develop precision medicine for primary aldosteronism

Each of your kidneys wears a little yellow cap that helps keep your blood pressure in check, and much more. But in some people, it starts running amok, pumping out a hormone that sends blood pressure sky-high.

13 Aug 2015

Ardelyx reports net income of $9.0 million for second quarter 2015

Ardelyx, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on gastrointestinal and cardio-renal diseases, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2015.

12 Aug 2015

Ion channel blockers prove useful in cancer therapy

Drugs called ion channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric disorders, might prove useful in cancer therapy, according to research findings in fruit flies and mice by UC San Francisco scientists that led to unconventional treatment of a case of metastatic brain cancer.

12 Aug 2015

Researchers explore key factors to improve astronauts’ nutrition needs during space missions

Centuries ago, ships often sailed with crews numbering in the hundreds returning with tens. Cause of death: Scurvy - a severe depletion of Vitamin C.

4 Aug 2015

Commonly prescribed drug also lowers blood pressure when combined with diuretic

With the growth of electronic medical records, research utilizing data from a large number of patients, known as big data studies, can provide important information which may be unattainable via clinical trials which tend to be costly, time-consuming and involve fewer patients.

30 Jul 2015

LixiLan-O Phase III clinical trial meets primary endpoint in patients with type 2 diabetes

Sanofi announced today that the LixiLan-O Phase III clinical trial met its primary objective in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin. The fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine 100 units/mL and lixisenatide, a GLP-1 RA, demonstrated statistically superior reduction in HbA1c (average blood glucose over the previous three months) compared with lixisenatide and compared with insulin glargine 100 units/mL.

29 Jul 2015

New drug patiromer could improve potassium levels of patients with diabetic kidney disease

Among patients with diabetic kidney disease and hyperkalemia (elevated potassium levels in the blood), a potentially life-threatening condition, those who received the new drug patiromer, twice daily for four weeks, had significant decreases in potassium levels which lasted through one year, according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA.

15 Jul 2015