Cocoa Flavanols Could Protect Kidney Patients’ Hearts


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

Gut Bacteria Byproduct Linked to Chronic Kidney Disease


Researchers from Cleveland Clinic have discovered an important connection between the gut bacteria byproduct, TMAO, and chronic kidney disease. TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) is produced when we digest choline and carnitine, found in animal sources—dairy, egg yolks, red meat, and liver. The researchers studied subjects with and without chronic kidney disease and found a link between … Continue reading Gut Bacteria Byproduct Linked to Chronic Kidney Disease

Vascular Calcification May Explain Link Between Kidney Stones and Heart Disease


New research suggests that blood vessel calcification may explain the link between kidney stones and heart disease. Vascular calcification is common in chronic kidney disease patients and puts them at high risk of cardiovascular death. Researchers led by Linda Shavit, M.D. of University College London Medical School and Israel’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, used CT … Continue reading Vascular Calcification May Explain Link Between Kidney Stones and Heart Disease

Cutting Phosphate Early in CKD Reduces Deaths, Heart Problems


Cutting out dietary phosphorus and phosphate additives is crucial for dialysis patients, but now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found that stringent phosphate restriction could reduce the risk of heart problems and death for patients with early chronic kidney disease. Their study in rats showed that severe phosphate restriction reversed vascular calcification … Continue reading Cutting Phosphate Early in CKD Reduces Deaths, Heart Problems

Hormones from Bone Marrow Stem Cells May One Day Treat Kidney Disease


Scientists from St. Michael’s Hospital in Canada have found that hormones secreted from bone marrow stem cells may be beneficial in treating chronic kidney disease and heart failure.  These unidentified hormones have healing effects similar to adult stem cells, but present a safer alternative, given that stem cells can sometimes cause tumors to grow. Because … Continue reading Hormones from Bone Marrow Stem Cells May One Day Treat Kidney Disease

Kidney Stones Tied to Raised Heart Disease Risk for Women


Researchers at Columbus Gemelli Hospital in Rome have found that women, but not men, with a history of kidney stones have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries.  They studied 242,105 men and women in the U.S., 19,678 of whom reported a history of kidney … Continue reading Kidney Stones Tied to Raised Heart Disease Risk for Women