Cocoa flavanols, the plant-based nutrients found in cocoa beans, could be the key to protecting kidney patients’ hearts, according to a new study from Germany’s University Hospital Essen. Dialysis patients in the study drank beverages containing 900 mg of cocoa flavanols daily for 30 days. Researchers saw impressive results from the flavanol-filled drink, including better … Continue reading Cocoa Flavanols Could Protect Kidney Patients’ Hearts
Stem Cells That Form Kidney Blood Vessels Identified
An exciting stem cell discovery from researchers at University of Virginia Medical School brings scientists one step closer to growing kidneys in the lab, complete with functioning vasculature. The UVA investigators not only identified the stem cells that produce blood vessels in the kidney, they also found that blood forms along with the vessels. Their … Continue reading Stem Cells That Form Kidney Blood Vessels Identified
Lower Blood Pressure Target May Save Lives
Initial results from the landmark NIH SPRINT study published in September of this year reveal that lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) could reduce cardiovascular complications and save the lives of high-risk, older adults. Beginning in 2009, the trial tracked a diverse group of more than 9,300 hypertensive adults, … Continue reading Lower Blood Pressure Target May Save Lives
New Urinary Biomarker to Predict Kidney Disease Progression
An international research team led by scientists from University of Michigan has identified a urinary biomarker that could help predict which CKD patients are at risk of kidney disease progression and kidney failure. The team pinpointed the protein, epidermal growth factor (EGF), while studying kidney tissue biopsies from chronic kidney disease patients in the United … Continue reading New Urinary Biomarker to Predict Kidney Disease Progression
Biomarker suPAR Predicts Chronic Kidney Disease
A potential new kidney disease biomarker, suPAR, is causing a big stir in the research community. Previous studies have identified the blood protein as a potential cause of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS. Now a multi-institutional study involving scientists from Rush University, Emory University, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, NYU Langone Medical Center, … Continue reading Biomarker suPAR Predicts Chronic Kidney Disease
Reducing Calories Helps Mice with PKD
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that reducing calories in mice with PKD can prevent, improve, and reverse the disease. They saw a decrease in kidney inflammation, cell injury, and fibrosis. Restricting calories by 40% produced the most dramatic results, “almost completely” preventing and reversing CKD, but even a 10% reduction improved the disease. The researchers … Continue reading Reducing Calories Helps Mice with PKD