https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Researchers at the University of Cologne, University Hospital Cologne and the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research have developed a method that, for the first time, enables damage to individual cells to be precisely quantified. The method uses molecular markers—specifically gene expression—and enables detailed analysis of disease progression in individual tissue samples, such as a biopsy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-gene-markers-quantify-individual-kidney.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:40:03 EDT news706537561 As Japan's population continues to age, age-related declines in kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are becoming increasingly prevalent, underscoring the need for effective preventive strategies. Despite growing interest in the health benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness, its relationship with future kidney function decline remains poorly understood, particularly among individuals with preserved kidney function. To address this gap, researchers investigated whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of whole-body endurance capacity, is associated with a slower age-related decline in kidney function. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-higher-cardiorespiratory-slower-age-decline.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news706460762 Researchers from Monash University have developed miniature human kidneys from stem cells that could accelerate the search for treatments for acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden loss of kidney function that can cause severe illness and long-term kidney damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-miniature-kidneys-treatments-acute-kidney.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:40:03 EDT news706440662 High blood pressure affects nearly 1 in 8 people worldwide, and its impact goes far beyond a number on a blood pressure monitor. It can quietly damage the heart, kidneys and brain, making it one of the world's biggest preventable health threats. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-experimental-drug-reversing-high-blood.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:06 EDT news706284117 Results of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology's Phase II RadiCaL trial (Alliance A031801), the first randomized study of a radiopharmaceutical in kidney cancer, found that adding radium-223 to standard care did not improve the length of time patients went without serious bone complications (called skeletal event-free survival) in patients with advanced kidney cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-randomized-trial-radiopharmaceutical-kidney-cancer.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news706283525 A lower-protein diet could be associated with better control of uremic toxins in patients starting peritoneal dialysis (PD) at a lower dose (incremental PD), according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Nutrients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-protein-diet-incremental-peritoneal-dialysis.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:20:01 EDT news706275503 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is currently ranked the ninth-leading cause of death globally. However, up to half of cases may remain undetected despite the availability of simple urine and blood tests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-life-threatening-kidney-disease-cases.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:40:02 EDT news706265582 Despite national efforts to improve acute kidney injury (AKI) care, thousands of patients in England are missing vital follow-up care after leaving the hospital, according to new research by The University of Manchester. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-major-gaps-acute-kidney-injury.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:50:02 EDT news705740863 Immunosuppressive medications help prevent organ rejection following transplantation, yet some patients still experience rejection despite receiving adequate treatment. New research from Yale, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, identifies a potential genetic mechanism underlying the increased risk in some patients of recent African ancestry, revealing changes in immune cell signaling that may contribute to kidney transplant rejection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-genetic-variants-kidney-transplant.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:20:07 EDT news705665881 Dialysis is a lifesaving medical treatment for people whose kidneys can no longer efficiently filter waste, toxins and excess fluids from the blood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-kidney-dialysis.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:20:04 EDT news705578582 Previous studies have hinted that people surrounded by more environmental noise—low, deep rumblings from air-conditioning units, elevator motors, distant traffic and ventilation ducts—tend to have worse kidney function. But these studies could not identify which part of the noise was to blame or the specific ways it might affect the kidneys. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-household-range-mouse-kidneys-day.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:20:03 EDT news705315302 A human kidney is built once, before birth, and the rules guiding its construction have been largely inferred from animal models. Researchers at Penn Medicine have now read those rules directly in human tissue. They found that developing cells are steered by soluble signals released by their neighbors—and identified insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) as a key signal that sustains the kidney's stem-like cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-soluble-neighboring-cells-human-kidney.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:20:03 EDT news705235409 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