Feature Channels: Story Ideas: Medicine

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Regardless of demographics, African American patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis have a higher rate of developing end stage renal disease (ESRD) than dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Earlier studies showed patients of all races with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) were at greater risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than reaching ESRD.

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A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. According to researchers, the finding removes the idea once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are 'only psychological.'

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Today, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in Philadelphia, a group of researchers from Stanford University will describe the latest developments toward their goal of integrating two existing medical devices.

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Kidney disease is a growing public health problem, with approximately half a million individuals in the United States requiring dialysis treatments to replace the function of their failed kidneys. The problem is particularly acute among African-Americans, whose rates of kidney disease are four times higher than those of European Americans.

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Biologists have been studying how the protein AMPK works for several decades and know that once it is activated, AMPK turns on a large number of genes by passing the "make more energy" message through numerous signaling cascades in the cell. What was not known, until now, was that AMPK also works via an epigenetic mechanism to slow down or stop cell growth. Researchers found that AMPK binds directly to sites on chromosomes called promoters that regulate gene expression related to cell metabolism.

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For patients with IgA nephropathy, a type of kidney disease, steroid treatment can prevent or delay loss of kidney function, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys and a major cause of end-stage kidney failure in younger people.

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In cells, as in cities, disposing of garbage and recycling anything that can be reused is an essential service. In both city and cell, health problems can arise when the process breaks down.

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There is substantial regional variation in treatment practices for care of older adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including receipt of hospice care and discontinuation of dialysis before death, according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA.

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With an estimated 85 percent of women experiencing hot flashes as they approach menopause, researchers are concentrating on finding effective treatments that do not include hormonal or other pharmaceutical therapies. Now, a new Baylor University study has shown that women who specifically pictured images associated with coolness during hypnotherapy had a dramatic decrease in hot flashes.

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A research team led by W. Greg Miller of Virginia Commonwealth University evaluated seven commercially available direct measurement reagents for quantifying HDL-C and LDL-C. In the non-diseased individuals, six of eight HDL-C and five of eight LDL-C direct methods met the National Cholesterol Education Program [guidelines]. However, all the methods failed to meet the NCEP’s goals for diseased individuals, because of compromised specificity toward abnormal proteins.

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Individuals with a high resting heart rate and a low beat-to-beat heart rate variability have an increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that the behavior of the autonomic nervous system may be a sentinel marker for late development of certain cases of kidney disease.

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Chang Lu and his chemical engineering research group at Virginia Tech have discovered how to “greatly enhance” the delivery of DNA payloads into cells. The description of their work will be featured on the cover of Lab on a Chip (issue 16), the premier journal for researchers in microfluidics. The work also appears in the July 8 issue of Nature magazine ((Vol. 466, p. 163)

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Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) recover from exacerbations equally well if they are treated at home or in a hospital, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University. Furthermore, longer treatment with antibiotics does not appear to offer any additional benefit over shorter courses.

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Injuries to the rotator cuff are treatable, but it is unclear which treatment option – surgery or nonsurgical treatments such as exercise or medication – is best.

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Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)—widely prescribed for urinary tract infections—are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). "We found a significant risk of severe hyperkalemia associated with TMP-SMX," comments Matthew A. Weir, MD (London Health Science Centre).

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A South Dakota State University scientist’s research shows an extract made from a food plant in the Brassica family was effective in alleviating signs of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition, in mice.

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Only a small fraction of transplant centers nationwide are willing to accept and transplant deceased-donor kidneys that they perceive as less than perfect, leading to lengthy, organ-damaging delays as officials use a one-by-one approach to find a willing taker. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have designed a formula they say can predict which donor kidneys are most likely to be caught in that process, a method that could potentially stop thousands of usable kidneys each year from being discarded because it took too long for them to be transplanted. Previous studies have shown such kidneys can extend the life of certain dialysis patients, if allocated and transplanted in a timely manner.

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For patients with kidney disease on dialysis, the widely used heart medication digoxin may lead to an increased risk of premature death, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Most concussions deliver a force of 95Gs to the human body, reports head injury expert Kim Gorgens of the University of Denver. Football players absorb 103Gs on their hits.

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Trends show mortality rates have shifted from the traditional urban 'penalty' to more people dying at higher rates in rural areas. About 40,000 more people now die annually in rural places compared to urban areas.

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A study appearing in the July 2010 issue of Anesthesiology is the first to show that inhalation of gaseous hydrogen sulfide can reduce or even prevent lung injury in critical care situations that require mechanical ventilation.

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A greater frequency of severe sepsis among black patients is attributable to higher rates of infection and higher risks of organ dysfunction than what white patients experience, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.

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Patients who had experienced a heart attack and lowered their blood homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation did not have an associated lower risk of heart attack, coronary death or stroke, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA. However, the researchers did find that folic acid supplementation did not increase the risk of cancer, which has been speculated.

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Postmenopausal women who experience bothersome hot flashes or night sweats may have an alternative treatment to estrogen. According to a new study, oral micronized progesterone relieves those symptoms. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone imbalance in women of reproductive age, may be more vulnerable to exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), found in many plastic household items, according to a new study.

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A National Alert for Serious Medication Errors (NAN) was issued yesterday by the ASHP and ISMP, warning health care practitioners about dangerous medication errors that could be caused by a shortage of EPINEPHrine* pre-filled syringes.

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins report using a laser beam to activate a protein that makes a cluster of fruit fly cells act like a school of fish turning in social unison, following the lead of the one stimulated with light.

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Advance directives need to be more clinically relevant and the growing statewide use of a new protocol is one step, says the author of an article in The Milbank Quarterly.

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Members of the American Thyroid Association concerned about a proposal to reduce salt in the diet to improve cardiac disease rates caution that such a reduction would also reduce iodine intake.

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Members of the American Thyroid Association concerned about a proposal to reduce salt in the diet to improve cardiac disease rates caution that such a reduction would also reduce iodine intake.

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Interrupting the blood flow for more than 20 to 25 minutes during kidney cancer surgery leads to a greater risk for patients developing chronic kidney disease, a Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic collaborative research team has found. The study was published today in the journal, European Urology.

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A drug commonly used to treat gout may help maintain kidney disease patients’ health, according to an analysis appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The research is the first to show that allopurinol treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) decreases inflammation, slows the progression of kidney disease, and reduces patients’ risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event or being hospitalized.

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The widely used cancer drug bevacizumab may cause severe loss of protein from the kidney into the urine that can lead to significant kidney damage and can compromise the efficacy of cancer treatment, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that physicians should monitor patients’ kidney health when prescribing this angiogenesis inhibitor.

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How is it that some people who apparently freeze to death can be brought back to life with no long-term negative health consequences? New findings from the laboratory of Mark B. Roth, Ph.D., of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center may help explain the mechanics behind this phenomenon.

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In a surprising discovery that someday may lead to new treatments for many inflammatory diseases, University of Utah scientists found that a hormone involved in iron metabolism can save mice from deadly acute inflammation.

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A Phase III trial of a drug used for the treatment of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and macular hole (MH) revealed key findings for patients diagnosed with these severe conditions which can lead to significant vision impairment.

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Pharmacoeconomic methods rank low as a decision influencer on formulary changes, according to a new survey released today by the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Respondents reported that only 13 percent of formulary system decisions made by Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committees in hospitals is influenced by pharmacoeconomic methods.

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Vitiligo — a complex disease that typically causes patches of white skin on the face, neck and extremities, which pop star Michael Jackson may have experienced — is associated with slight variations in genes that play a role in the body’s natural defenses. Multiple cellular pathways may contribute to the onset and progression of vitiligo, which makes fully understanding the disease complicated, but it also gives scientists a variety of starting points to begin developing therapies.

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As part of a national clinical trial, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found little difference in effectiveness between two popular treatments for one of the most common ailments among American women: stress urinary incontinence.

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An analysis of Medicare data from 1993 through 2006 for older patients hospitalized for heart failure indicates that along with a decrease in hospital length of stay, the rate of in-hospital and 30-day mortality has decreased, while the rate of hospital readmission and discharge to skilled nursing facilities has increased, according to a study in the June 2 issue of JAMA.

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Negative health effects linked to taking too much supplemental calcium are on the rise, according to a commentary appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The incidence of the so-called milk-alkali or calcium-alkali syndrome is growing in large part because of widespread use of over-the-counter calcium and vitamin D supplements.

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A good way to educate doctors about new treatment guidelines is to use the same marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies.

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Three new blood-thinning drugs that are alternatives to Coumadin could cause dangerous interactions when taken with widely used prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

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A 17-year-long community study looking at symptoms of enlarged prostate in over 2,000 men age 40 to 79 years suggests that surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) offers more relief from incontinence and obstruction symptoms than treatment from drug-based therapy, according to a new study by researchers at Mayo Clinic.

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Nephrologists must consider fluid overload effects when prescribing dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The fluid overload biomarker, N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), previously known as a “cardiac biomarker” in dialysis patients, is an important component of managing patients with kidney disease.

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A Nobel Prize-winning University of Utah geneticist discovered that bone marrow transplants cure mutant mice who pull out their hair compulsively. The study provides the first cause-and-effect link between immune system cells and mental illness, and points toward eventual new psychiatric treatments.

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An award-winning video “Shattered Dreams,” commissioned by the University of Michigan’s Department of Neurosurgery is part of an injury prevention effort. Public service announcements based on the video begin airing in southeastern Michigan movie theatres June 4 to spread the message of “feet first” to boaters and swimmers.

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In the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, physician experts review current practices for pain management in cirrhotic patients. The physician experts reviewed all current literature available on PubMed and MEDLINE with no limits in the search to recommend a uniform and practical guide to approaching analgesia in the cirrhotic patients.

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The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)has published new medical treatment guidelines for providing care to workers with injuries and disorders of the hip and groin. The new guidelines represent the latest chapter in ACOEM’s comprehensive Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines.

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Symptomatic heart failure prior to surgery is routinely acknowledged as a risk factor for adverse outcomes for both cardiac and non-cardiac surgeries. In a new study published in the June Anesthesiology, researchers delve further into the implications of cardiac problems on postoperative outcomes, exploring preoperative diagnosis and impact of asymptomatic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in vascular surgery patients.