UKRO – University Kidney Research Organization
Together We Build a Kidney
While the link between smoking and kidney disease risk is well known, a new study from the University of Mississippi Medical Center shows that smoking may be particularly harmful for African Americans. The researchers were able to analyze kidney function and decline in 3,648 African Americans ranging in age from 21 to 84 years. They found that smokers … Continue reading Smoking Poses Kidney Risk for African Americans
Scientists are only just beginning to learn the many ways our gut microbiota can contribute to both good health and disease. A research team from Belgium’s University Hospitals Leuven has uncovered a link between high levels of a gut bacterial metabolite called PAG (phenylacetylglutamine) and poor health in patients with chronic kidney disease. In their … Continue reading Gut Bacteria Linked to Poor Health in Kidney Disease Patients
Our roundup of the latest kidney transplant news brings together exciting studies and innovations designed to increase successful transplants by improving the procurement system, introducing new procedures, and maximizing the use of donor organs. A recent article in the New York Times describes a promising new transplant procedure called desensitization, which alters patients’ immune systems so … Continue reading Top News on Kidney Transplant Innovations
Two new studies point to interesting evidence that female hormones may protect women’s kidneys from damage, suggesting novel gender-based avenues to safeguard kidney health for women and men. Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that female hormones may provide greater resistance to kidney damage following a kidney transplant. The scientists found that even when … Continue reading Do Female Hormones Protect the Kidney?
Researchers from UC San Diego have uncovered inflammatory players involved in Type 1 diabetes as well as kidney damage caused by obesity. They traced insulin resistance and deficiency to an increase in a fatty acid in the kidney called sphingomyelin. The increase in sphingomyelin, which was found in mice with Type 1 diabetes and those fed … Continue reading Clues to Inflammation and Damage in Diabetic Kidney Disease
The U.S. Renal Data System’s 2015 Annual Data Report shines a light on the huge economic toll of kidney disease, analyzing the prevalence, variety of treatments and burden of the illness. The researchers involved in this comprehensive study hope that it will help identify the best and most cost-effective ways to treat the disease. Here are some important take-aways on Medicare … Continue reading Medicare Spending Billions on Chronic Kidney Disease