Virtual Renal Centre Medical News

Vitamin D deficiency in kidney disease patients starting dialysis

Vitamin D deficiency is almost universal among kidney disease patients who have low blood protein levels and who start dialysis during the winter, according to a study appearing in an

Classification system for leading cause of kidney failure

An international group of medical experts has crafted a much-needed classification system for diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of total kidney failure, according to a study appe

New non-invasive test to gauge success of kidney transplants

In a world first, University of Otago researchers have developed a simple urine test to detect kidney transplant rejection. The finding, published this month in the journal Transplantation, i

Reversing resistance to kidney cancer treatment

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers have found a way to reverse resistance to sunitinib, a treatment that is currently the first line of defense against clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cc

Obesity raises kidney stone risk

Obesity in general nearly doubles the risk of developing kidney stones, but the degree of obesity doesn't appear to increase or decrease the risk one way or the other, a new study from Johns Hopkins s

Severe complications of diabetes higher in depressed patients

Depression raises risks of advanced and severe complications from diabetes, according to a prospective study of Group Health primary-care patients in western Washington. These complications include ki

'Silent strokes' linked to kidney failure in diabetics

In patients with type 2 diabetes, silent cerebral infarction (SCI) – small areas of brain damage caused by injury to small blood vessels – signals an increased risk of progressive kidney d

Immune cell levels predict skin cancer risk in kidney transplant patients

Measuring certain types of immune cells may predict the high risk of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American So

End-of-life care falls short for kidney disease patients
Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) often do not receive adequate end-of-life care and are unhappy with the medical decisions made as their conditions worsen, according to a study appe

Kidney abnormalities common
Abnormalities in the kidneys and their blood vessels occur in at least 25% of healthy individuals, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Socie

Treating anaemia in patients with kidney disease
In light of recent findings that an anaemia-fighting drug doubles the risk of stroke in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) without substantially improving their quality of life, d

Are patients losing sleep over blood pressure monitors?
A widely used test for measuring nighttime blood pressure may interfere with patients' sleep, thus affecting the results of the test, reports a study in an upcoming issue of Clinical Journal of th

Gas improves blood flow and organ status during minimally invasive surgery
As good as laparoscopy is in preventing some of the stresses of open surgery on the body, it does have drawbacks, including reduced blood flow and organ dysfunction. Laparoscopy is a type of surgery i

Bulking up with anabolic steroids harms kidneys
Anabolic steroids may help athletes gain muscle mass and strength, but this bulking up comes at the risk of serious kidney damage, according to research published in the Journal of the American So

Ring in the New Year
New Year's Eve: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... New Year's Eve is possibly the biggest party of the year, often leading to the biggest hangover of the year.