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.

Diabetics overestimate healthy body weight

Heavier patients with diabetes are more likely to overestimate their "healthiest" body weight compared to those of normal weight, according to a study published in the current issue of Diabetes Care.

14 Mar 2006

Yale researchers identifiy a gene that protects the body against kidney stones

The research identifies a transporter, encoded by the gene, as a potential target for drugs to boost oxalate secretion in the gut and help prevent kidney stones, said Peter Aronson, M.D., professor of internal medicine and physiology and senior author of the research.

14 Mar 2006

Pregnancy complications increase risk of heart disease

Young women who have a range of complications during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or preterm birth, are at an increased risk of developing heart disease and of dying later in life

14 Mar 2006

Renal and extrarenal predictors of nephrectomy from The National Trauma Data Bank reviewed

The management of renal trauma has become increasingly conservative with multiple series showing renal preservation after high grade injury.

13 Mar 2006

Best seller Lipitor shown to improve kidney function

According to drug maker Pfizer it's top selling product worldwide, the cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor (Atorvastatin) has been shown to improve kidney function in patients with heart disease.

13 Mar 2006

Filter more effective than diuretics for heart failure

Researchers in the U.S. say that filtering the blood works better than diuretic drugs to remove excess fluid in patients admitted to hospital for heart failure.

13 Mar 2006

B vitamins and folic acid don't cut the risk of further heart attacks

Scientists have found that levels of the amino acid homocysteine may be high in people destined for a heart attack or stroke, and some studies in the past have linked homocysteine to an increased risk of heart disease.

13 Mar 2006

Chronic kidney disease is rising rapidly worldwide

In the United Kingdom, the annual incidence of end stage renal disease is around 100 per 1,000,000 population. This figure has doubled over the past decade and is expected to continue to rise by 5-8% annually

13 Mar 2006

Transplanting a pair of kidneys with limited function into one patient may offer one solution to short supply of donated kidneys

Transplanting a pair of kidneys with limited function into one patient can be just as successful as the standard procedure in which a patient receives a single kidney, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

13 Mar 2006

Positive effects of tight blood glucose control can be seen more than a decade later in diabetics

People with diabetes who keep their blood sugar in check today will probably have a far lower chance of developing foot pain or other nerve damage tomorrow, according to new research results from a national study.

9 Mar 2006

Therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma remains inadequate

The recent FDA approvals of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors sorafenib and sunitinib based on their activity in metastatic renal cell carcinoma have excited the medical oncology community

9 Mar 2006

Nebivolol may restore damaged cardiovascular functions in African Americans

Tadeusz Malinski, Marvin & Ann Dilley White Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, found that the drug, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, acts on the level of oxidants lining the cardiovascular system and can restore levels of nitric oxide and reduce oxidative stress.

9 Mar 2006

Thalidomide improves remission in myeloma

Myeloma is one of the least curable cancers and involves plasma cells, the white blood cells that produce antibodies.

9 Mar 2006

New hepatitis drug much more effective

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for an enormous burden of disease throughout the world, including up to half of all cases of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma, a cancer of the liver.

9 Mar 2006

Test for LDH enzyme may help determine risk factors in sickle cell disease

Researchers have found that a simple test for an enzyme called LDH may have significant importance for determining major risk factors in adults with sickle cell disease.

9 Mar 2006

Primary vesicoureteral reflux detected in neonates with a history of fetal renal pelvis dilatation

Fetal renal pelvis dilatation is a common abnormality, observed in 4.5% of pregnancies but surrounded by controversy regarding its significance. Working up renal pelvis dilation has become a standard of care regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) being one of the primary concerns.

8 Mar 2006