Kidney Failure

Genetics may explain severe flu in Chinese people

A genetic variant commonly found in Chinese people may help explain why some got seriously ill with swine flu, a discovery scientists say could help pinpoint why flu viruses hit some populations particularly ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 29, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause kidney failure in children?

Sick children, especially those with some dehydration from flu or other illnesses, risk significant kidney injury if given drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, Indiana University School of Medicine researchers said Friday.

Medications created Jan 25, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers say it's time to treat anemia seriously

Up to one-third of patients undergoing surgery in Ontario have a treatable form of anemia but are not optimally treated for it.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Factors linked with survival differences between Black, White kidney failure patients

Complex socioeconomic and residential factors may account for differences in survival between Black and White kidney failure patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American So ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Irregular heart beat elevates risk of kidney failure

Many people who suffer from chronic kidney disease progressively lose their kidney function over time and eventually develop a condition called end-stage renal disease – the complete failure of the kidneys – placing them ...

Cardiology created Jan 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Kidneys sometimes removed unnecessarily due to misdiagnosis of genetic disorder

Thousands of individuals have had kidneys removed unnecessarily because doctors misdiagnosed their disease.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 10, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Drug fails to help kidney transplant recipients

A drug that protects the kidneys of patients with chronic kidney disease does not seem to provide the same benefit to kidney transplant recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of th ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 10, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers reveal most effective treatment for common kidney disorder

The results of a pioneering UK-wide clinical trial that compared treatments for patients with a common type of kidney disease has found one to be significantly more effective. The results of the study, published online in ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 09, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Triple mix of blood pressure drugs and painkillers linked to kidney problems

Patients who take a triple combination of blood pressure drugs and common painkillers are at an increased risk of serious kidney problems, especially at the start of treatment, finds a study published in BMJ today.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Jan 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Second hit leaves young football player in wheelchair

(HealthDay)—After taking a hard hit to the head during a football game, an Indiana high school student suffered severe headaches for the next three days. Following a head CT scan that was normal, his doctor ...

Neuroscience created Jan 02, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Geneticists uncover a trail of variants associated with kidney dysfunction, specifically among East Asian populations

The past decade has seen a steady torrent of data linking human genetic variants associated with disease risk, and yet many important gaps remain. For example, many of these studies have focused primarily ...

Genetics created Dec 21, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Team studies role of white blood cells in kidney failure

Better targeted treatments for 20 per cent of renal failure patients are on the horizon following a key discovery about the role of white blood cells in kidney inflammation.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 16, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Problems with mineral metabolism linked with kidney disease progression

Abnormalities of mineral metabolism worsen with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are linked with a higher risk for kidney failure among African Americans, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 13, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New coronavirus has many potential hosts, could pass from animals to humans repeatedly

The SARS epidemic of 2002-2003 was short-lived, but a novel type of human coronavirus that is alarming public health authorities can infect cells from humans and bats alike, a fact that could make the animals a continuing ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Dec 11, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Pre-diabetic patients respond to self-directed lifestyle interventions, researchers say

Efforts to help overweight patients avoid diabetes through lifestyle changes need not rely on intensive, one-on-one focused programs, a new clinical study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Palo Alto ...

Diabetes created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Renal failure or kidney failure (formerly called renal insufficiency) describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood. The two forms are acute (acute kidney injury) and chronic (chronic kidney disease); a number of other diseases or health problems may cause either form of renal failure to occur.

Renal failure is described as a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Biochemically, renal failure is typically detected by an elevated serum creatinine level. Problems frequently encountered in kidney malfunction include abnormal fluid levels in the body, deranged acid levels, abnormal levels of potassium, calcium, phosphate, and (in the longer term) anemia as well as delayed healing in broken bones. Depending on the cause, hematuria (blood loss in the urine) and proteinuria (protein loss in the urine) may occur. Long-term kidney problems have significant repercussions on other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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