https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Hyperuricemia independently predicts mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published online July 13 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hyperuricemia-mortality-chronic-kidney-disease.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news704719757 Approximately 850 million people globally (9.1% of the world's population) have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The number of affected individuals has grown steadily during the past 20 years and is on track to continue rising. Existing drugs, such as RAAS inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, are commonly prescribed, but their effectiveness varies from patient to patient. Moreover, these drugs can slow disease progression but cannot stop it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cannabinoid-pathways-kidney-disease-ckd.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:00:04 EDT news704714722 Renal impairment and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are interrelated, with higher odds of AMD among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a review published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-renal-impairment-linked-age-macular.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:40:05 EDT news704621525 For adults receiving chronic outpatient hemodialysis, use of a smartphone-based app designed to support fluid intake restriction is feasible and associated with sustained reductions in interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), according to a study published in the August issue of Kidney Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-app-interdialytic-weight-gain-chronic.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news704634441 An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna reports on a new treatment strategy that has made kidney transplantation possible for a patient with no realistic chance of receiving a suitable donor organ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cancer-drug-enables-kidney-transplant.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news704645881 When we think of kidney disease, we think of dialysis or a kidney transplant. Less well known is that kidney disease, which affects more than 10% of the world's population, can have significant consequences for the functioning of other organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-kidney-disease-brain.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:03 EDT news704548681 Pregnancy places extra strain on the kidneys, and for women with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), around half will experience a decline in kidney function during pregnancy. Despite these risks, outcomes for pregnant women with CKD have changed little over the past 30 years, and many of the treatments used to manage kidney disease are not safe during pregnancy, meaning women often need to stop their medication for at least nine months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beetroot-juice-benefit-pregnant-women.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:20:04 EDT news704534282 Adults with kidney transplants who were treated for COVID-19 with the antiviral remdesivir within a week of a COVID-19 diagnosis and who received at least three consecutive days of therapy were less likely than kidney transplant recipients who did not receive the antiviral to experience cardiovascular or kidney problems up to a year later, according to findings from a target trial emulation study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-remdesivir-covid-linked-outcomes-adult.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:00:05 EDT news704363761 A trans-Tasman clinical trial led by University of Queensland researchers has marked a key step toward easing the kidney dialysis crisis in Australia and New Zealand. The researchers led a large-scale trial to test whether a standardized peritoneal dialysis program called TEACH-PD could reduce infections compared with existing patient training. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-clinical-trial-easing-kidney-dialysis.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news704101202 In a novel analysis examining the economic implications of generic semaglutide entering the Canadian market, researchers predict that anticipated price reductions of up to 70% will dramatically increase both the cost-effectiveness and health system affordability of therapy options for patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-availability-generic-semaglutide-barrier-diabetes.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:05 EDT news703832604 Do you know your blood type? It is important information used for blood transfusions, but few realize that blood types could also be linked to disease risks. In the general population, people with blood type O have been reported to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular mortality. Other noncardiovascular conditions are also associated with ABO blood types, such as certain cancers and infectious diseases. However, these findings do not take into consideration hemodialysis patients, who face higher risks than the general population. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hemodialysis-mortality-blood.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:00:04 EDT news703857417 Chronic kidney disease affects millions of Americans, and more than 800,000 people in the United States are living with end-stage kidney disease. While kidney transplantation is widely recognized as the preferred treatment for eligible patients, offering longer survival and improved quality of life, many remain on dialysis because of organ shortages and barriers that limit access to all steps in the process of receiving a transplant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-star-annual-unprecedented-view-early.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:40:01 EDT news702901153 People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. They also suffer from chronic inflammation, the causes of which are still only partly understood. Oxalic acid (oxalate) has so far been known primarily for its role in the formation of kidney stones. The molecule is a natural metabolic byproduct, is found in certain foods and is normally excreted by the kidneys in urine. However, when kidney function is impaired, oxalate accumulates in the body and can promote inflammatory processes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-oxalate-buildup-triggers-inflammation-cardiac.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:40:03 EDT news702908086 Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of the fetus's survival after birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-womb-fluid-infusions-fetuses-kidney.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:40:04 EDT news702747239 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common, largely silent and serious. Most people who have the condition do not realize they have it, while it sharply raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and early death. Over the past decade, the share of American adults living with CKD has remained consistent. Roughly 1 in 7 U.S. adults—about 15%—had CKD in 2013, and approximately 1 in 7 still had it in 2023. What has changed is the type of kidney disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-kidney-disease-profile-shifts-diabetes.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:00:07 EDT news702704496 A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed Hong Kong's first "AI Agent for Precision Diabetes Management—PIPE-AI" (AI Agent), designed specifically for Asian populations, together with a related disease risk prediction model. Leveraging artificial intelligence and large-scale local electronic health data, the system can more accurately predict the risk of complications worsening, such as chronic kidney disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years, enabling health care professionals and patients to intervene early and improve disease management. The research findings have been published in npj Digital Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ai-agent-precision-diabetes.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:01 EDT news702638778 In a study published in Science, USC researchers paired a biological discovery with an engineering feat to create more faithful, reproducible lab-grown kidney structures from stem cells, known as organoids. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-stem-cell-scientists-synthetic-cells.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:00:06 EDT news702142801 New evidence supports genetic testing of prospective Black kidney donors to see if they face elevated risks for low kidney function—a factor that could compound health issues if they donate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-genetic-black-people-donate-kidney.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:20:01 EDT news702022022 A common genetic mutation that helps some kidney cancers survive may also expose an unexpected weakness, one that MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers hope to transform into a new treatment strategy. In a study published in Cancer Research, Aguirre de Cubas, Ph.D., and colleagues have discovered that kidney cancer cells lacking the tumor suppressor gene SETD2 become highly dependent on a protein called BCL-xL for survival. By targeting that dependency, the researchers were able to selectively eliminate SETD2-deficient cancer cells in laboratory models while largely sparing cancer cells with intact SETD2. The findings identify a potential new therapeutic strategy for patients with a particularly aggressive subset of kidney cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-cancer-gene-reveals-unexpected.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:20:04 EDT news701964182 Preconception counseling (PCC) for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains underused, according to a study published in the July issue of Kidney Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reproductive-aged-women-kidney-disease.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:20:27 EDT news701963120 Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without lupus nephritis (LN) have increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality, according to a study published June 16 in Rheumatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-patients-lupus-chronic-kidney-disease.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:40:04 EDT news701611795 The first-in-human fully vascularized bladder graft transplanted with a kidney has reached a promising six-month milestone, according to a new feasibility study published in The Lancet. The procedure, performed in May 2025, demonstrated technical feasibility and early functional success at six months after surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-month-results-feasibility-early-success.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:20:08 EDT news701511022 Short daily home dialysis (SDHD) is associated with sustained preservation of physical activity, better postdialysis recovery, and improved sleep compared with conventional in-center hemodialysis (ICHD), according to a study published online June 18 in Kidney360. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-short-daily-home-dialysis-physical.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:00:06 EDT news701447600 A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), in collaboration with the University of Zurich, has uncovered the first comprehensive map of how the anti-aging protein Klotho operates in distinct regions of the kidney, resolving long-standing scientific uncertainties about its physiological roles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-longevity-protein-revealing-segment.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:00:01 EDT news701352987 Nearly half of Americans with kidney failure who are referred for transplantation never begin the process required to be considered for a new organ, a new study shows, while less than a fifth actually complete the assessment and get on the waitlist. While experts have studied what happens once people make it onto the list, little attention has been paid to challenges in making the waitlist in the first place, the study authors said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-people-kidney-transplant-waitlist.html Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:30:02 EDT news701013756 In Denmark, around 2,500 pregnant women develop pre-eclampsia every year. The condition typically manifests as high blood pressure and increased protein in the urine, and some women experience symptoms such as severe headaches and visual disturbances. Pre-eclampsia cannot be treated during pregnancy, and for some women it becomes necessary to induce labor early to protect both mother and child. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-women-pre-eclampsia-chronic-kidney.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:00:01 EDT news701010383 Artificial intelligence can help predict a patient's risk for conditions such as sepsis, heart disease and cancer. But many of these tools fall short in real-life clinical practice because they are difficult for doctors to interpret and trust. Researchers at UC San Francisco have developed a new way to use AI to build clinical prediction tools that combines the speed of artificial intelligence with the judgment of human experts. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-framework-doctors-tools.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:20:04 EDT news700902181 A drug previously developed at UCLA to help heart tissue repair itself after a heart attack might also help kidney tissue repair and regenerate, researchers have found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-protein-blockade-scarring-faster.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700843681 Belzutifan, a first-in-class drug that arose from scientific discoveries at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat some patients with earlier-stage kidney cancers in combination with an immunotherapy drug. This move marks the latest expansion of belzutifan's indications after it was originally approved in 2021. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fda-kidney-cancer-drug-belzutifan.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:00:02 EDT news700809182 Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a previously unrecognized way the kidneys regulate water balance—an advance that could lead to improved treatments for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other disorders. The study, led by Fouad Chebib, M.D., a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-1940s-era-drug-uncover-kidney.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:04 EDT news700736006