http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A collaborative team of physician-scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Research Institute has developed a new evidence-based, clinical algorithm to help physicians treat complex patients with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-approaches-complicated-childhood-polycystic-kidney.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:35:06 EST news286220093 Good news for anyone needing a transplant; a new Mayo Clinic survey shows that the public's support for both living and deceased organ donation is increasing. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they would be very or somewhat likely to consider donating a kidney or a portion of their liver to a close friend or family member in need, and an astounding 49 percent said they would be very or somewhat likely to consider donating a kidney to someone they have never met, which is often referred to as altruistic or "Good Samaritan" kidney donation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-poll-americans-donating-kidney-stranger.html Other Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:54:37 EST news285497669 At the end of life, black patients with kidney failure receiving chronic dialysis are less likely to be referred to hospice and to discontinue dialysis compared with white patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). Racial differences in care are especially pronounced in parts of the country that spend the most on end-of-life care. Efforts are needed to better understand why there are such large racial differences in end-of-life care and to ensure that such care reflects dialysis patients' goals and preferences. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-racial-disparities-end-of-life-dialysis-patients.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:00:01 EST news284914601 (AP)—A European Union prosecutor has added charges to an indictment against 7 Kosovars suspected in an illegal kidney transplantation scheme. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-eu-prosecutor-kosovo-case.html Other Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:30:02 EST news283191212 (Medical Xpress)—Advances in DNA sequencing technology during the past decade have given scientists powerful tools to peer into the genomes of humans and other species. Despite the efficiency and sophistication of these technologies – known as massively parallel, or next-generation, sequencers – some of the genome's secrets still remain hidden. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-kidney-disease-mutations-genomic.html Genetics Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:10:08 EST news279792597 African-Americans and individuals without private health insurance are less likely than others to receive a kidney transplant before requiring dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that efforts are needed to ensure the equitable distribution of donor kidneys and the timing of transplantation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-disparities-kidney-transplant.html Other Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:05 EST news278869706 In a research review article published in the American Journal of Nephrology, Saint Louis University investigators examined data from multiple studies to better understand how obesity, an epidemic in the U.S., impacts kidney transplant patients. The authors report that, even as some connections between weight and health outcomes are unknown or contradictory, there is evidence that obese kidney transplant patients don't do as well after surgery, experiencing more adverse outcomes, including wound infections, delayed graft function, graft failure, cardiac disease and increased costs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-patients-heavy-kidney.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:44:20 EST news277389754 Three studies presented during the American Society of Nephrology's Annual Kidney Week provide new information related to kidney transplantation—specifically, the post-transplant health of kidney donors and the racial disparities faced by children in need of transplants. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-transplantation-issues-kidney-donors-children.html Other Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:43:55 EST news271089809 (HealthDay)—Kidney transplant patients who receive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors after transplant have a greater probability of death or transplant failure than patients receiving calcineurin inhibitors, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in the American Journal of Transplantation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-drug-class-linked-worse-outcomes.html Surgery Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:30:01 EST news269414813 Most Canadians view financial incentives for deceased kidney donation to be acceptable, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). Nearly half of the general public in Canada also find it acceptable for living kidney donation. Studies are now needed to determine whether acceptability of financial incentives translates to more available organs to patients in critical need of a transplant. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-dollars-donors-financial-incentives-donation.html Other Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:36:32 EST news267986177 Surgeons at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System are developing new treatment options for obese kidney patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-simultaneous-robotic-kidney-transplant-sleeve.html Surgery Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:16:50 EST news265619802 (AP)—A nurse accidentally disposed of a kidney from a living donor this month at a U.S. hospital, and doctors tried unsuccessfully for at least two hours to revive the organ in what medical experts describe as a rare accident, health officials said. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-kidney-patient-transplant-trash.html Other Sun, 26 Aug 2012 03:58:08 EST news265172246 Young black patients and patients without private health insurance are less likely to be assessed for a kidney transplant when they start dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). These patients are also less likely to be put on the transplant waiting list and to receive a transplant. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-status-likelihood-kidney-transplantation.html Other Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:00:01 EST news262539457 As thousands of Americans await a life-saving kidney or liver transplant, medical teams are paying close attention to another organ: their hearts. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-hearts-kidney-liver-transplants.html Cardiology Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:51:50 EST news261305493 In a study that included nearly 2 millions adults in Canada, the rate of progression to untreated kidney failure was considerably higher among older adults, compared to younger individuals, according to a study in the June 20 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-significantly-higher-untreated-kidney-failure.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:00:03 EST news259340206 A team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania found that the FDA-approved drug daclizumab improved the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30 percent, compared to those patients not taking daclizumab. This proof-of-concept study is published this week in Science Translational Medicine. Senior authors of the study are Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, associate professor of Medicine, and James Riley, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-fda-approved-drug-daclizumab-cancer-vaccine.html Cancer Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:03 EST news256391812 Researchers at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research conducted a retrospective analysis which found that morbid obesity impedes kidney donation. In fact, in the analysis of 104 potential living kidney donors, 23 (22 percent) donors were classified as morbidly obese, only three (13 percent) of whom were able to successfully lose weight and donate their kidney. This data will be presented at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) 2012 Spring Clinical Meetings, to be held from May 9-13 in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-obesity-hinders-kidney-donation.html Other Thu, 10 May 2012 20:00:02 EST news255886451 A policy instituted in 2005 has reduced racial disparities in kidney transplantation among children, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Children are better off receiving kidneys from live donors, though, and receiving organs from deceased donors can diminish the limited supply of organs available to kidney failure patients on waiting lists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-children-today-racial-disparities-kidney.html Other Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:00:05 EST news254672493 Being educated about your health and your treatment options is a good thing. According to a new study, kidney failure patients who take part in an education program are more likely to get evaluated for a kidney transplant. The study appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that requiring a formal patient education class may help reduce inequities in kidney failure patients' access to kidney transplantation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-patient-classes-disparities-kidney-transplantation.html Other Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:24:59 EST news248635491 A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that racial disparities exist in both the early and late steps in access to kidney transplantation. This study is part of the February special themed issue of the journal on racial disparity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-racial-disparities-access-kidney-transplantation.html Other Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:22:29 EST news248016137 Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified two novel markers that, when elevated in the blood stream, can predict accurately the risk of renal (kidney) failure in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The findings have immediate diagnostic implications and can be used for the development of new therapies to prevent or postpone the progression of renal disease in diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-markers-key-indicators-future-renal.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:28:44 EST news246216514 With three people on the kidney transplant list dying in the UK every day, should doctors encourage their patients to put themselves at risk for the benefit of others? Two experts debate the issue in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-doctors-people-donate-kidney-stranger.html Other Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:14:16 EST news240642850 Among children with kidney disease, certain races are less likely to get kidney transplants and are more likely to die than other races, according to two studies from Emory University that were presented during the American Society of Nephrology's Annual Kidney Week. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-racial-inequalities-kids-kidney-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:30:49 EST news240143416 Newly published research shows that more patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) caused by lupus nephritis choose hemodialysis as their initial kidney replacement therapy over peritoneal dialysis and preemptive kidney transplantation. Results of the study now available in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), also found that African Americans, Medicaid recipients, those without health insurance, and the unemployed had significantly reduced initiation of peritoneal dialysis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-lupus-nephritis-patients-end-stage-renal.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:23:53 EST news239862226 A new study recently published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that the ability to successfully carry a pregnancy after kidney transplantation is very high, with 73.5% live birth rates. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-successful-pregnancy-kidney-transplant.html Other Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:23:05 EST news238328532 Patients who receive kidney transplants must take lifelong medications that, while preventing organ rejection, can also compromise other aspects of health. Immunosuppresive drugs called calcineurin inhibitors protect transplanted organs from being rejected, but they can be toxic to the kidneys over the long term and can make patients susceptible to infection, cancer, and other threats. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-toxic-drugs-kidney-transplant-patients.html Other Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:32:54 EST news235935148 Even though overall black patients have a lower risk of death while receiving dialysis than white patients, this applies primarily to older adults, as black patients younger than 50 years of age have a significantly higher risk of death, according to a study in the August 10 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-younger-black-patients-dialysis-higher.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:00:06 EST news232118346 A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that since the elimination of the kidney allocation priority for matching for HLA-B on May 7, 2003, access to kidney transplantation for minorities has been improved. Improvement is a result of a policy that reduced the requirements for tissue matching. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-national-kidney-allocation-policy-minority.html Other Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:01:05 EST news230472055 Avoiding HLA-DR mismatching appears to be beneficial in pediatric kidney transplant patients, however the likelihood of finding a matching donor must be considered against the wait time for a possible donation, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-factors-pediatric-kidney-transplant.html Other Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:40:04 EST news230225991 Aboriginal children with kidney failure were less likely to receive a kidney transplant compared to white children, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-aboriginal-children-kidney-transplants.html Health Tue, 24 May 2011 12:22:46 EST news225458556