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Number of Americans with kidney stones nearly doubled since 1994

The number of Americans suffering from kidney stones between 2007 and 2010 nearly doubled since 1994, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and RAND.

24 May 2012

Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack

Calcium supplements might increase the risk of having a heart attack, and should be “taken with caution,” concludes research published in the online issue of the journal Heart.

24 May 2012

First study to examine how patients and families are soliciting living kidney donors on Facebook

Loyola University Medical Center researchers are reporting one of the first studies to examine how patients and families are soliciting living kidney donors on Facebook.

24 May 2012

Zytoprotec completes PD-protec Phase I/II trial on kidney failure

Zytoprotec, a company developing drugs based on active cytoprotection, today announced the completion of a Phase I/II clinical trial with its lead product, PD-protec.

24 May 2012

Phase I/II clinical trial of novel dialysate completed by Zytoprotec

Zytoprotec, a company developing drugs based on active cytoprotection, today announced the completion of a Phase I/II clinical trial with its lead product, PD-protec™. The product is developed to improve the treatment of patients with kidney failure.

23 May 2012

Scientists may be step closer to developing new therapy for AML

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center may be one step closer to developing a new therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after discovering that the targeted agents obatoclax and sorafenib kill leukemia cells much more effectively when combined than when the drugs are administered individually.

23 May 2012

Folic acid fortification may reduce incidence of some childhood cancers

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Washington University in St. Louis have found folic acid fortification of grain products in the United States may have an impact on lowering some childhood cancers.

23 May 2012

“Networks” succeed in finding kidney donors: John Hopkins program reports

Johns Hopkins researchers say a program they developed that uses personal advocates and community networks to find organ donors for friends and loved ones who need kidney transplants resulted in success for nearly half of the participants in its trial run.

22 May 2012

Biomarker neutralizes effect of bevacizumab in pancreas and kidney cancer patients

Diether Lambrechts (VIB - KU Leuven) said "in two large clinical studies with patients with advanced stages of pancreas and kidney cancer a variant in the DNA was discovered that identified patients who did not respond well to the prescribed course of bevacizumab.

21 May 2012

Study shows how a drug-lead compound suppresses tumour formation

A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Biological Sciences and Mechanobiology Institute have discovered how a drug-led compound - a compound that is undergoing preclinical trials as a potential drug - can deprive cancer cells of energy and stop them from growing into a tumour. This drug-led compound is named BPTES.

21 May 2012

Salt intake: why is it bad for you?

Many of us are aware that we shouldn’t eat too much salt. To be precise, adults should avoid eating over 6g (or around about a teaspoon of salt) a day.

21 May 2012

Folic acid fortification may reduce incidence of Wilms' tumor, PNET in children

Folic acid fortification of foods may reduce the incidence of the most common type of kidney cancer and a type of brain tumors in children, finds a new study by Kimberly J. Johnson, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and Amy Linabery, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota.

21 May 2012

Urologic conditions contribute to major economic burden in the U.S.

Urologic conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate cancer are a major economic burden on Americans, resulting in health care costs of close to $40 billion annually, according to a newly released national report that charts the demographic and economic impact of urologic diseases in the U.S.

19 May 2012

Viewpoints: VA failing to provide timely care; Roll up your sleeves to help fight AIDS; Primary care doctors' uncertain future

Those who have served know the military rules: Be on time, do it now. Once they file disability claims with the Department of Veteran Affairs, however, veterans wait, and wait longer…. Delay is not without consequences for the individual or the community…. We sent these young men and women off to battle. We owe them timely care.

19 May 2012

Ocera’s Zysa receives CE Mark to treat IBS-d

Ocera Therapeutics Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary agents to treat gastrointestinal and liver diseases, announced today that it has received a CE Mark for Zysa (spherical carbon adsorbent, formerly AST-120) for the treatment of diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-d), a condition affecting 10-15% of the Western world.

19 May 2012

Mount Sinai cancer researchers to present several landmark studies at ASCO meeting

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers will present several landmark studies, including data on treatment trends in late-stage cancer, a promising multiple myeloma vaccine, and predictive models of soft tissue sarcomas, prostate and bladder cancer, at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago.

19 May 2012

Patients with morbid obesity more likely to develop complications after spinal fusion surgery

Patients with morbid obesity are at nearly twice the risk of developing complications after spinal fusion surgery, reports a study in the May 15 issue of Spine.

18 May 2012

One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for CKD patients

One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

18 May 2012

Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer benefit from accelerated MVAC

For some patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, treatment may begin before they undergo cystectomy, or surgical removal of the bladder. They may be advised by oncologists to receive chemotherapy before surgery. A large randomized clinical trial published in 2003 demonstrated a survival benefit for neoadjuvant, or pre-surgical, MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) using a standard dose and schedule.

18 May 2012

Renal denervation can effectively reduce blood pressure in CKD patients with hypertension

Disrupting certain nerves in the kidneys can safely and effectively lower blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

18 May 2012