https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Wearable technologies are starting to reshape how people manage health. Continuous glucose monitors that measure blood sugar levels in diabetes patients have already shown the power of tracking an important molecule in real time. The next leap is to track other medically important molecules. However, doing so is far more difficult because most of those molecules are present at much lower concentrations than glucose. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-deep-microneedle-sensor-tracks.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news695650742 A new blood test can identify which individuals of African ancestry carrying high-risk APOL1 gene variants are most likely to develop kidney failure, years before clinical disease becomes apparent. Findings on the new test, developed by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, are published in Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blood-kidney-failure-black-americans.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:10 EDT news695379661 A prespecified analysis of the NOAH-AFNET 6 trial investigated the impact of kidney function on cardiovascular outcome in patients with device-detected atrial fibrillation. Today, the findings were presented by AFNET board member Prof. Andreas Goette, St. Vincenz Hospital, Paderborn, Germany, at the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) in Paris and has been accepted for publication in the EP Europace journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-kidney-disease-cardiovascular-events-patients.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:09 EDT news695299681 A new UC Davis Health study reveals that transportation challenges create major barriers for patients with end-stage kidney disease who receive hemodialysis at a clinic. These challenges also have a negative impact on dialysis clinic staff. The study is published in the Journal of Nephrology Social Work. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-issues-disrupt-dialysis-kidney-patients.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:20:04 EDT news694886821 Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have shown that an orally administered small molecule, N-propargylglycine (N-PPG), can completely prevent the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones, protect against kidney failure, and fully restore normal survival in a mouse model of primary hyperoxaluria type 2 (PH2), a rare and currently untreatable genetic disorder that causes progressive kidney failure in infants and young adults. An estimated 1,700 people suffer from the disease in the US, although experts believe many more cases go undiagnosed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-small-molecule-drug-candidate-rare.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news694368001 Recently analyzed evidence points to a connection between oral health and kidney health, according to work led by University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researchers. Their article, published in BMC Nephrology, combined evidence from more than 150 previously published papers, including observational studies, meta-analyses and interventional trials, and identified growing evidence of oral-renal interactions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-link-chronic-kidney-disease-periodontal.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:40:06 EDT news694175297 Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is an autoimmune disease characterized by the deposition of circulating IgA-containing immune complexes (IgA-ICs) in the glomerular mesangium, leading to mesangial cell proliferation, enhanced extracellular matrix production, and variable infiltration of inflammatory cells. Because IgA nephropathy carries a lifelong risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease, optimal therapeutic strategies to halt renal deterioration are needed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-biomarker-immunoglobulin-nephropathy.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:00:08 EDT news694101049 Despite an urgent demand for kidney donors in the U.S., about 1 in 4 donor kidneys goes unused. In 2022, more than 71,000 people were on the kidney transplant waiting list, with waitlists often extending as long as five years for a donor kidney. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-kidney-transplant-opportunity.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:00:02 EDT news693760611 An international research collaboration led by Queen Mary University of London and University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa has published the most comprehensive genomic investigation of kidney function ever conducted in African populations. The study sheds new light on the genetics of chronic kidney disease (CKD) across diverse African populations and will support future work aimed at improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease among these populations and worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-largest-genomic-kidney-function-africa.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:20:01 EDT news693748261 The relationship between cardiovascular dysfunction and renal impairment is widely recognized as the cardiorenal interaction, a complex physiological link in which damage to one organ can accelerate deterioration in the other. This interdependence has gained increasing attention in recent years, particularly with the emergence of therapies such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, which have demonstrated protective effects for both the heart and kidneys. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-natriuretic-peptide-predictor-kidney-disease.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:50:01 EDT news693582421 A systematic review of 31 studies found that diet changes like increasing fluid intake and following a diet low in salt and protein may help prevent recurrent nephrolithiasis, or kidney stones. In addition, several medications, including thiazide diuretics, alkali therapy, and allopurinol, may also be helpful. Evidence was unavailable regarding the usefulness of surveillance imaging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-dietary-medications-recurrent-kidney-stones.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:00:13 EDT news693467719 Scientists have discovered novel molecular mechanisms that contribute to recovery from diabetic kidney disease following bariatric surgery in adolescents with type 2 diabetes and obesity, mechanisms that may serve as potential targets for non-surgical treatments for diabetic kidney disease, according to a multi-institutional study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bariatric-surgery-adolescents-reprograms-kidney.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:10:06 EDT news693492662 Conservative management of people with kidney failure throughout the chronic kidney disease (CKD) trajectory is discussed in an article and executive summary published online Jan. 9 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-guidance-issued-patients-kidney-failure.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:20:01 EDT news693488720 High ambient temperatures are associated with increased chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) incidence, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-high-ambient-temperatures-linked-ckd.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 19:20:01 EDT news693331296 As a urological surgeon, I meet many patients with chronic (long-term) kidney disease. Sometimes, I see patients that have progressed to the point where their kidneys do not work at all. This leads to the toxic build-up of waste products, meaning they need regular dialysis or a kidney transplant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-im-kidney-surgeon.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:30:01 EDT news693213170 Having a primary care physician reduces emergency department (ED) use among patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving dialysis, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-primary-physician-emergency-department-patients.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:10:02 EDT news693212765 Higher blood pressure during young adulthood is likely linked to a higher risk of heart disease and kidney disease later in life, reinforcing the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure at younger ages, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Boston, March 17–20, and offers the latest epidemiological science on prevention, lifestyle and cardiometabolic health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-higher-blood-pressure-young-adulthood.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:30:01 EDT news693123570 Researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine have uncovered how an imbalanced gut microbiome escalates the production of metabolic byproducts by certain gut bacteria. This imbalance drives a feedback loop that worsens chronic kidney disease (CKD) in mice. The scientists identified an investigational drug that might break the destructive cycle. The findings are published in Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-imbalanced-gut-microbiome-worsens-chronic.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:00:07 EDT news693133097 MDI Bio Lab scientists discovered how zebrafish solve a basic challenge in regenerative biology—insights in their newest publication in the journal Development could one day guide human repair. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-kidney-regeneration-zebrafish-filters-pipes.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:00:01 EDT news692979494 A Japanese registry has identified a blind spot in the routine care of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum bicarbonate levels are rarely measured, leaving metabolic acidosis largely undetected and hence, undertreated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-hidden-acid-imbalance-kidney-disease.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:20:01 EDT news692969641 An interdisciplinary team from the University Hospitals Cologne and Bonn have conducted the first prospective study to investigate whether very early intervention in unborn children with congenital lower urinary tract obstruction (cLUTO) can improve their chances of survival and subsequent kidney function. The researchers aim to fundamentally improve the prognosis for this serious disease and ideally spare affected children from dialysis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-early-intervention-severe-fetal-megacystis.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:00:03 EDT news692627950 A new study led by Federation University researchers has identified a specific biological signature within the human kidney that could hold the key to predicting and managing age-related organ failure. The research shows that the shortening of telomeres within kidney cells, coupled with specific chemical changes to DNA, may contribute to the development of nephrosclerosis—the hardening and scarring of kidneys often associated with aging and a major contributor to chronic kidney disease (CKD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-biological-fast-agers-high-kidney.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:30:01 EDT news692529699 A closer examination of the APOL1 gene in Black patients with kidney disease can provide more accurate diagnoses than current protocols, a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found. Accurate diagnosis is important as treatments for kidney disease depend on the disease's root causes and will take on more importance when treatments in development for APOL1 kidney disease become available. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-protocol-kidney-disease-diagnosis-black.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:06 EDT news692439062 A new national study evaluating a landmark U.S. transplant policy change finds that efforts to correct the harms of race-based kidney function equations are associated with increased kidney transplantation rates among Black patients. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, underscores how reparative strategies that address the harms of race-based algorithms in medicine can help save lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-policy-higher-kidney-transplant-black.html Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EDT news692018341 Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a drug-and-supplement combination therapy that is capable of reducing the harmful effects of senescent cells—also known as "zombie cells"—in diabetic kidney disease. In eBioMedicine, the team reported that the combination of the cancer drug dasatinib and a naturally occurring substance known as quercetin decreased inflammation and boosted protective factors in the kidney. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-combination-therapy-effects-zombie-cells.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:20:03 EST news691937761 A new AI-based method reconstructs spatial information about where immune cells were originally located in an organ, even after these cells have been removed from the tissue and analyzed individually. To accomplish this, researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn use the transcriptome, i.e., the entirety of all messenger RNA transcripts produced by genes within a cell at a given time. The work has been published in the journal Advanced Science and introduces the new MERLIN algorithm. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-immune-cells-retain-molecular-memory.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:06 EST news691673341 Tiny RNA molecules carried by extracellular vesicles in the bloodstream can accurately predict kidney function decline and cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD), as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. By analyzing blood samples from a large cohort, the team identified multiple microRNAs linked to disease progression and built a model to distinguish high-risk patients with CKD. Clinically applying this risk score model can contribute to improved patient outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-cardiovascular-complications-chronic-kidney-disease.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 11:30:01 EST news691241768 Metabolic dysfunction, rather than steatotic liver disease (SLD), seems to be the main driver of chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk, according to research published online Feb. 23 in Nutrition & Diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-metabolic-dysfunction-main-driver-chronic.html Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:40:02 EST news691419012 As community disadvantage increases, access to dialysis facilities decreases, according to a research letter published online Feb. 23 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Yu-Chu Shen, Ph.D., from the Department of Defense Management in Monterey, California, and Renee Y. Hsia, M.D., from University of California, San Francisco, examined whether geographic access to dialysis facilities varied by community socioeconomic status. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-disadvantaged-communities-decreased-access-dialysis.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:50:02 EST news691339218 An international team of researchers from George Mason University, Harvard University, and the University of Tokyo have used artificial intelligence to map the global underground market for illegal kidney transplants, finding that the United States consistently ranks among the world's largest illicit importers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-poverty-wealth-biggest-buyers-sellers.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:20:06 EST news691320879