Chronic Kidney Disease News and Research

Latest Chronic Kidney Disease News and Research

Human growth hormone abuse raises serious health risks

Human growth hormone (HGH), when medically necessary, is a safe and effective clinical treatment for children and adults.

13 Feb 2008

Allergic reactions to gadolinium-containing contrast injections - study

Allergic-like reactions to gadolinium-containing contrast injections in adults and pediatric patients (those younger than 19 years of age) are rare, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Health Systems in Ann Arbor.

2 Jan 2008

Link between chronic kidney disease and hypoxia

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how low-oxygen conditions can worsen chronic kidney disease (CKD).

20 Dec 2007

Anti-diabetic drug pioglitazone lowers cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients with kidney disease

A new study confirms that chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases the already-high risk of serious cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with damage to the large blood vessels and suggests that treatment with the anti-diabetic drug pioglitazone may help to lower this risk, reports the January Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

13 Dec 2007

Most adults with conditions that increase cardiovascular disease risk have hypertension

Nearly three-fourths of American adults with conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes or others that raise their risk for cardiovascular complications also have hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a report in the December 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Dec 2007

Chronic kidney disease common in U.S. - obesity, diabetes, hypertension and aging population contribute to increase

There is a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the United States, which has risen over the past decade, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

6 Nov 2007

Improvements in survival after dialysis in the elderly

The majority of patients starting dialysis as a result of chronic kidney disease are 65 years or older at the time of their first treatment, and many are over 75 years.

22 Oct 2007

Lowering blood pressure protects stroke victims with chronic kidney disease from further strokes

New research, published in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology by The George Institute for International Health in Sydney, has found that lowering blood pressure protects stroke victims with Chronic Kidney Disease from further strokes or heart attacks.

8 Oct 2007

Higher death rates in kidney patients with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a newly identified debilitating and painful condition that affects patients with kidney failure and is characterized by a thickening and hardening of the skin.

29 Sep 2007

Diet and lifestyle offers significant benefits to people with chronic kidney disease

"People who suffer severe chronic kidney disease clearly need support with their diets," she said. "When their kidneys function at less than 30 per cent they often lose their appetites, which can lead to malnutrition and compound their health problems."

24 Sep 2007

Causes and treatments for gynecomastia

Gynecomastia, the benign enlargement of male breast tissue, is a common occurrence in adolescents as well as in middle-aged and older men.

20 Sep 2007

Staggering costs of end-stage renal disease in U.S.

Recent progress in the prevention and treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States give reason for "cautious optimism," but skyrocketing costs are a major concern, according to a Special Article in the October Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

12 Aug 2007

Sex hormones play a significant role in the development of diabetic kidney disease

Women have a "female advantage" when it comes to chronic kidney disease. When compared to men, they have fewer and less severe episodes of this disorder throughout most of their lives.

11 Aug 2007

Obesity linked to hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease

For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the risk of elevated levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), or hyperparathyroidism a significant complication that increases the risk of cardiovascular problems and death increases along with body weight, reports a study in the September Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

9 Aug 2007

Europe approves MIRCERA to treat anaemia

Roche has announced that the European Commission has approved its innovative drug MIRCERA to treat anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

27 Jul 2007

Combination of blood pressure-lowering drugs stops loss of kidney function in rare genetic disease

A combination of two types of blood pressure-lowering drugs, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) plus an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB), added to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with agalsidase-beta (Fabrazyme, Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge, MA) is the first treatment shown to stop progressive loss of kidney function in patients with severe kidney involvement due to the rare genetic disorder Fabry disease, reports a study in the September Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

26 Jul 2007

Functional data analysis in renal anemia

Anemia is one of the most frequent complications of hemodialysis, and its correction is an important factor in restoring a tolerable quality of life to dialysis-dependent patients.

12 Jul 2007

Genzyme announces results of clinical trials of Renvela and Renagel

Genzyme Corp. has announced the results of two new studies comparing a powder form of Renvela (sevelamer carbonate) to Renagel tablets (sevelamer hydrochloride), including one trial in which patients received the powder form three times per day, and one in which it was administered once per day.

19 Jun 2007

Changing face of dialysis care in the United States

As medical, economic, and policy trends converge to alter the way dialysis care is organized and financed, protecting the unique relationship between dialysis patients and the kidney specialists who direct their care is a top priority, according to a special feature in the July Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

17 Jun 2007