Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Nephrology for June 2008. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Gastric Bypass May Raise Risk of Kidney Stones
MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Morbidly obese patients who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are at risk of developing kidney stones as early as three months after surgery, researchers report in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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Higher Albuminuria Levels Associated with Hypertension
MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Having a higher albumin/creatinine ratio -- even if it's in the range considered "normal" -- is associated with an increased risk of incident hypertension in women without diabetes, according to a report published online June 25 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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One in Eight Taiwanese Has Chronic Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- About 12 percent of the Taiwanese population has chronic kidney disease, which nearly doubles their risk of death, though most are unaware that they have the disorder, researchers report in the June 28 issue of The Lancet.
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Editorial
Weight Gain Increases Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease
TUESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Weight gain over time increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, even in men whose weight is in the normal range, according to the results of a study released online May 21 in advance of publication in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Article Examines Use of 'Key Opinion Leaders' in Drug Sales
FRIDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Influential doctors known as "key opinion leaders" are paid generous fees to influence their peers to prescribe a company's drugs and may in fact be considered salespeople by the industry, according to an article in the June 21 issue of BMJ.
Full Text - Moynihan
Editorial - Buckwell
Editorial - Fava
Statins Benefit Kidney Disease Patients with Dyslipidemia
FRIDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) are prone to abnormal lipid metabolism, which can be treated effectively with statins, but evidence of statins' effectiveness in hemodialysis patients is inconclusive, researchers report in the June 24 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Model Compares Post-Kidney Transplant Drug Regimens
THURSDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- A calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal regimen for de novo kidney transplant patients was associated with better long-term patient and graft survival, compared with common CNI-containing immunosuppressive therapies, according to research published online June 18 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Subclinical Hypothyroidism Linked to Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- People with poor kidney function appear to have a greater frequency of subclinical primary hypothyroidism than those with normal kidney function, with the prevalence rising as kidney function declines, according to a report published online June 11 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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'Transplant Tourism' May Be Inappropriate Term
FRIDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- When patients cross borders to receive organ transplants, there may be serious ethical, clinical, social and economic problems, which the term "transplant tourism" does not suggest, according to an article in the June 14 issue of BMJ.
Abstract - Turner
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Abstract - Noorani
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Experts Debate Whether Organ Donors Should Be Paid
FRIDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- The high success rate of kidney transplants has created demand for organ donations that far exceeds supply and raises ethical dilemmas about paying donors, according to a series of articles in the June 14 issue of BMJ.
Full Text - Matas
Full Text - Chapman
Editorial
Myeloma Drug Relieves Lupus Pathology in Mice
WEDNESDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Treating mice with lupus with bortezomib, a drug approved to treat multiple myeloma, eliminates autoreactive plasma cells, reduces glomerulonephritis and improves survival, according to study findings published online June 8 in Nature Medicine.
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Mild Hypothermia Can Reduce Post-Ischemic Injury
FRIDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Use of mild hypothermia following an ischemic injury appears to reduce permanent damage to tissue function if treatment is administered within hours of the event and, following treatment, the body is re-warmed slowly, researchers report in the June 7 issue of The Lancet.
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Prevalence of Conn's Syndrome Lower Than Thought
FRIDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of hyperaldosteronism, also known as Conn's syndrome, in people with hypertension is much lower than previously thought, according to a report in the June 7 issue of The Lancet.
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Drug Relieves Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Intravenous ferumoxytol, an iron oxide nanoparticle, is more effective than oral iron in alleviating anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to the results of a study published online June 4 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Aliskiren May Protect Against Diabetic Nephropathy
WEDNESDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Type 2 diabetics struggling with nephropathy and hypertension had significantly lower albumin levels following treatment with losartan and aliskiren, a newly FDA-approved drug, according to a report in the June 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Editorial
Liver, Kidney Disease Linked in Type 2 Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- In people with type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with a moderately increased risk of chronic kidney disease, according to research released online April 2 in advance of publication in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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