Starting immediately, the race coefficient should be thrown out of the equation for calculating estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function, for US residents, a Task Force organized by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has declared. Other experts, as well as these two organizations, are eagerly […]
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EU Approves Dapagliflozin for Kidney Disease, Regardless of Diabetes
Dapagliflozin (Forxiga) has been approved for use in the European Union to treat adults with chronic kidney disease who do not have diabetes. It is the first agent from the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor class to receive this designation in Europe. The approval follows the approval of the drug by the US Food and Drug […]
Israeli study of breakthrough infections following full BNT-Pfizer vaccination, 40% immunocompromised
Severe forms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) linked to high mortality rates might arise in a minority of fully-vaccinated individuals with many co-occurring medical conditions, finds a recent study by Israeli researchers published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Study: BNT162b2 vaccine breakthrough: clinical characteristics of 152 fully-vaccinated hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Israel. Image Credit: […]
IL-6 Levels Tied to Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease
Higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with faster progression of proteinuric diabetic kidney disease, new research shows. In addition, higher IL-6 levels are not affected by drugs that block the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone (RAAS) system, which are widely used to treat the disease. “Diabetic kidney disease has classically been considered as a noninflammatory kidney disease and […]
Senolytics reduce inflammation, illness, and mortality from COVID infection in older mice
Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues at the University of Minnesota showed that COVID-19 exacerbates the damaging impact of senescent cells in the body. In preclinical studies, the senolytic drugs discovered at Mayo significantly reduced inflammation, illness, and mortality from COVID infection in older mice. The findings appear in the journal Science. Senescent cells (damaged or […]
Could COVID-19 trigger chronic fatigue syndrome in the young?
Although older adults are among the most vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19, new research warns that young patients can develop long-lasting fatigue and concentration problems, even if their COVID-19 infection was mild. That’s the troubling takeaway from three COVID-19 cases involving patients between the ages of 19 and 30. Investigators said they all developed […]
Nephrologists Make the Case for Cystatin C-Based eGFR
A patient’s estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remains a pillar for diagnosing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and tracking its progression. But nephrologists now recognize that eGFR values based entirely on measurement of serum creatinine, the common approach, may be misleading because of nonrenal factors that can skew serum creatinine levels up or down. The solution, […]
New Study Confirms Kidney Dialysis Worsens Pregnancy Outcomes
Women who are pregnant while on dialysis have significantly worse outcomes compared with women who a) have already received a kidney transplant, orb) will eventually start dialysis but had not yet reached that point by the time of their pregnancy, according to data from more than 1.6 million women from Australia and New Zealand. The […]
Mysterious ailment, mysterious relief: Vaccines help some Covid long haulers
An estimated 10% to 30% of people who get Covid-19 suffer from lingering symptoms of the disease, or what’s known as “long Covid.” Judy Dodd, who lives in New York City, is one of them. She spent nearly a year plagued by headaches, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and problems with her sense of smell, […]
Purdue researchers use malaria expertise to track COVID-19 in Indiana
Scientists have been using genetics to track diseases for decades. Now, a team at Purdue University that typically tracks malaria spread in Southern and Central Africa is using its expertise to track COVID-19 in Indiana. Giovanna Carpi's lab studies the genomics of infectious diseases to better understand how they spread. An assistant professor of biological […]