https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology People with type 2 diabetes who sleep longer may have an increased risk of developing or worsening diabetic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-longer-linked-higher-kidney-disease.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:08 EDT news710588101 Researchers led by Dr. Ralph Witzgall, a professor at the Chair of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy at the University of Regensburg, have deciphered a key disease mechanism underlying the hereditary kidney disorder nail-patella syndrome and identified a potential therapeutic strategy. Their findings demonstrate that an already approved drug can significantly reduce disease-causing changes. The study, which also involved researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), was recently published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-cancer-drug-kidney-linked-patella.html Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:40:09 EDT news710606941 Women with a complication in their latest pregnancy or a previous pregnancy face an elevated risk of developing cardiometabolic-renal conditions in subsequent years, suggests a U.K. study published online in the open-access journal BMJ Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-pregnancy-complications-linked-higher-cardiac.html Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:30:07 EDT news710437441 Within five years of a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, there is a greater risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) first than of developing heart failure first, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 in Milan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-adults-cardiorenal-disease-die-years.html Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:40:04 EDT news710063423 Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is an ongoing global health concern and public health challenge. Often described as a silent health threat, it can progress without the classic metabolic symptoms of kidney disease, such as obesity and diabetes. It is typically not diagnosed until it reaches an advanced stage and is often fatal. Although the disease's progression remains poorly understood, CKDu has primarily affected young men doing heat-intensive manual labor in equatorial agricultural communities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kidney-disease-nicaragua-linked-adolescents.html Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:20:05 EDT news709962721 Early complications are common in older kidney transplant recipients, according to a study published in the October issue of Transplantation Direct. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-early-complications-common-older-kidney.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:40:10 EDT news709920061 From 1997 to 2022, the absolute number and rate of pediatric hospitalizations complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI requiring dialysis (AKI-D) increased, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-pediatric-hospitalizations-acute-kidney-injury.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:20:07 EDT news709919941 The risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or heart failure (HF), or dying, following a type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis increases substantially over time, according to new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy, Sept. 28–Oct. 2. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kidney-disease-heart-failure-death.html Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:10:01 EDT news709464081 In a cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) and urinary protein-creatinine ratio (UPCR) provide clinically indistinguishable prognostic information for kidney and cardiovascular outcomes, according to a research letter published online Sept. 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-uacr-upcr-indistinguishable-prognostic-chronic.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:40:11 EDT news709554841 Most people's blood pressure falls by 10% to 20% while they sleep, giving the heart and blood vessels a chance to recover. But for some people, that nighttime dip never happens. Known as "non-dippers," these individuals face a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and premature death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-overnight-blood-pressure-reveal-health.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:20:01 EDT news709469941 I was 12 when the worst heat waves hit our home in rural New South Wales, Australia. It was summer vacation, a few weeks after we'd celebrated Christmas. I sat at the kitchen table, next to the sheets draped as curtains over the front windows of our tin-roofed house, passing the long, hot hours with a 1,000-piece puzzle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-climate-extreme-threat-human-health.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:40:01 EDT news709448581 New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Medicine is shedding light on how women and men with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may fare differently as they age and their disease progresses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-frailty-affects-cognitive-impairment-differently.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:00:04 EDT news709442941 State laws to combat disability-based discrimination in the organ transplant process aren't working, according to new research from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examines national policies designed to help all patients have a fair chance to receive an organ transplant. Despite 40 states passing laws prohibiting disability-based discrimination in the organ transplant process, people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are still less likely to receive a kidney transplant than those without IDD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-patients-developmental-disabilities-kidney-transplant.html Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:20:10 EDT news709290973 A microscopic worm that has no kidneys is helping Rutgers scientists understand a genetic change suspected of causing a serious inherited kidney disease. By making a precise change in the roundworm's DNA and following the proteins it produces, researchers discovered the altered protein failed to reach the place where it normally works. But when a healthy version was present in the same animal, that protein continued doing its job. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-tiny-worm-scientists-unravel-genetic.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:05 EDT news709212361 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects about 1 in 10 women worldwide, yet diagnosis is often delayed and women are less likely to receive critical treatments like dialysis or a kidney transplant compared with men, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the journal Circulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-women-kidney-health-overlooked-delaying.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:36 EDT news708862981 Stem cell researchers have identified inflammatory pathways that may play a key role in driving kidney damage in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), pointing to potential new approaches for protecting the kidneys. Using stem cell-derived kidney organoids, Dr. Benjamin Freedman and colleagues from the University of Washington found that exposure to high sugar levels triggered inflammation and disrupted the organoids' typical kidney tissue-like structure, causing individual kidney cells to detach. These changes were reminiscent of those observed in kidney biopsies and urine samples from patients with DKD. The research was published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-stem-cell-diabetic-kidney-disease.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news708794821 Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of chronic kidney disease, making prevention of kidney failure a key part of treatment. Newer diabetes medications, including GLP-1s and SGLT2 inhibitors, can reduce the risk of kidney disease, but previous studies have included large proportions of patients who already had signs of kidney damage, making it unclear whether the findings applied to patients without kidney damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-simple-urine-kidney-treatment-choices.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:30:04 EDT news708794101 In a clinical guideline published online Sept. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, updated recommendations are presented for managing anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-anemia-chronic-kidney-disease.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:20:01 EDT news708696830 Artificial intelligence (AI) models prioritize starkly different attributes than humans when making high-stakes decisions, and they don't express indecision like humans do, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The findings raise questions about the role of AI in decision support for ethically sensitive situations like medical decisions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kidney-ai-chatbots-moral-choices.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:40:09 EDT news708597902 Iron is an essential micronutrient, but excess iron can damage cells and increase cancer risk. While many cells die from iron-induced oxidative stress, a subset survives and may become cancerous. Previously, the identity of these surviving cells was unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-giant-nucleus-cells-key-markers.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:40:01 EDT news708339121 Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, a condition comprising heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity, can be identified in children as young as 8, UTHealth Houston researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic-disease-factors.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:03 EDT news708247999 A study of adults with type 2 diabetes recovering from dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury found that patients who began an SGLT-2 inhibitor within 30 days of hospital discharge had fewer serious kidney events than those who started the medicine 31 to 90 days after discharge. The research, led by National Taiwan University Hospital and published in JAMA Network Open, examines an important question about treatment during kidney recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-diabetes-medicine-sooner-kidney-injury.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:40:04 EDT news708253021 Nephrotic syndrome is caused when the filtering system in the kidneys is damaged, allowing large amounts of protein to leak into the urine. It is usually treated with steroids, but in some cases, steroids alone are insufficient, and long-term steroid use has serious side effects. Some patients develop a difficult-to-treat form of the disease that returns when the steroid dose is reduced. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cells-rituximab-response-reveal-kidney.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:40:08 EDT news708251341 A common liver condition thought to be harmless could be dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and premature death, according to a new review led by University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-symptomless-liver-condition-linked-heart.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:00:14 EDT news708174002 A new study led by researchers at Kumamoto University has found a clear seasonal pattern in community-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI) among people younger than 65 in Japan, with incidence peaking in summer and showing a larger seasonal increase among those 19 and younger. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-incidence-acute-kidney-injury-higher.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:00:06 EDT news708098402 In the midst of another intense wildfire season, a new study sheds light on the risks wildfires pose to life-sustaining dialysis care for thousands of Canadians. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-wildfires-pose-threat-dialysis.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:40:02 EDT news707652715 In January 2026, Tim Andrews, who had received a genetically edited pig kidney in January 2025, became the recipient of a human kidney. A new Mass General Brigham paper, published in The Lancet, details Andrews' experience and how xenotransplantation could bridge the gap between end-stage kidney failure and a human transplant, allowing a patient to forgo dialysis in the meantime. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-pig-kidney-xenotransplant-successfully-bridges.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:30:02 EDT news707650501 A new risk stratification model developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists may help identify patients at lower risk of kidney transplant rejection, informing more personalized treatment and care strategies with fewer adverse side effects, as detailed in a recent study published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-patients-kidney-transplant.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:00:05 EDT news707658360 For patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), rates of heart failure-related hospitalization increased from 2011 to 2021, according to a study published in the September issue of Kidney International Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-heart-failure-hospitalization-ckd.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:30:05 EDT news707399958 When red blood cells break down, they release heme, a component of hemoglobin that can contribute to inflammation and damage tissues and blood vessels. Researchers at Lund University have identified a mechanism by which heme activates an inflammatory reaction in the blood. They also were able to block this pathway in experimental models. The findings could have implications for diseases and conditions involving extensive breakdown of red blood cells, including hemolytic uremic syndrome and malaria. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-red-blood-cells-trigger-inflammation.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:30:03 EDT news707400045