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Nephrology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in nephrology.

ACC: Is Chelation Plus Vitamins a Winning Combo?

SAN FRANCISCO -- Vitamins alone won't improve outcomes for patients who've had a heart attack, but they do appear to have additive benefits when given in conjunction with controversial chelation therapy, researchers reported here.

Fatal Reactions Prompt Omontys Recall

All lots of the new anemia drug peginesatide (Omontys) have been recalled because of severe hypersensitivity reactions -- some fatal -- observed after the drug was approved last March.

ACE Inhibitors Linked to Hallucinations in Elderly

Elderly patients with memory problems who suddenly have visual hallucinations may need to stop taking ACE inhibitors, researchers suggested.

Judge OKs $762 Million Deal in Aranesp Case

A federal judge approved a $762 million settlement Wednesday in a case involving Amgen's off-label promotion of darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp), an anemia drug.

Amgen Agrees to Pay $762 Million in Aranesp Case

The biotech drug giant Amgen pled guilty Monday to promoting its blockbuster anemia drug darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) for off-label dosing regimens, agreeing to pay $762 million in fines.

Novel Drug Stars in Phase III PAH Trial

ATLANTA -- Macitentan, a next-generation endothelin receptor antagonist for pulmonary arterial hypertension, met its efficacy endpoint and was said to be well tolerated in a large clinical trial.

BP Drug Linked to Severe Diarrheal Illness

LAS VEGAS -- A patient's insightful question led to the identification of almost two dozen cases of severe enteropathy associated with use of blood pressure medication, investigators reported here.

Cardio Notes: Sex Improves with Stenting

Opening the arteries of those with stable coronary disease also opens the door to an improved sex life. Also this week, bariatric surgery helps remodel the heart.

Watchdog Group Wants Black Box on BP Meds

WASHINGTON -- The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to add a black box warning to three classes of hypertension drugs, cautioning against their combined use.

Cranberry Juice May Help Lower BP a Bit

Cranberry juice modestly lowers blood pressure in healthy adults when consumed daily, a carefully controlled trial showed.

Anemia a Risk with Low-Dose IVIG, Too

Even small doses of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) can cause acute, severe anemia, researchers warned.

No Weight Gain with Linagliptin in Diabetes

The DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin may control type 2 diabetes with less hypoglycemia or weight gain than glimepiride when used as second-line treatment with metformin, a trial showed.

Tattoos Replace Bracelets for Medical Alerts

PHILADELPHIA -- As more people with diabetes replace their medical alert bracelets with tattooed warnings, there might be a need for a standard design and body location, a researcher here said.

Facebook Status: Need Kidney

WASHINGTON -- Promoting living kidney donation on social networks could increase the organ donor pool, researchers said here.

Second Kidney Transplant Lasts as Long as First

WASHINGTON -- Patients who have a second kidney transplant may not be as bound for failure as once thought, researchers said here.

Most ICD Patients Die of Heart Failure

Patients with implantable defibrillators or resynchronization devices with defibrillator were most likely to die of heart failure or non-cardiac causes, not sudden death, a single-center study found.

Abuse of OTC Drug Mimics Kidney Stones

SAN DIEGO -- Stone deposits caused by abuse of an over-the-counter drug used to treat excess mucus may mimic kidney disorders, a researcher said here.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Renal Function Key in C. Diff Therapy Choice

SAN DIEGO -- Patients with Clostridium difficile infection and underlying impaired renal function fared better with fidaxomicin treatment than with vancomycin, a researcher said here.

Cheney's Heart Makes Him a Million Dollar Man

Keeping former Vice President Dick Cheney's heart beating probably will cost the healthcare system at least a million dollars, cardiac transplantation experts told 番茄社区.

Shire Quits on Fabry Drug

Shire PLC has withdrawn its U.S. application to market an enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease, citing an expected FDA demand for controlled clinical trials.

FDA Adds More Warnings for Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor

WASHINGTON -- Statins may cause drug-drug interactions for patients taking drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, according to a new statin warning from the FDA.

FDA Adds Diabetes Warning to Statin Label

WASHINGTON -- The FDA is changing the labeling on statins to include a warning about increased risks of hyperglycemia and transient memory problems, but the agency is no longer recommending routine liver function testing.

Big BP Variation Between Arms Raises Red Flag

A substantial difference in blood pressure from one arm to the other could be a warning sign for overall cardiovascular and mortality risk, a meta-analysis determined.

Diabetes Expert Disses Weight-Loss Programs

WASHINGTON -- Community-based weight-loss programs have not been shown to be effective at reducing the incidence of diabetes, so implementing a national program would likely be money down the drain, a diabetes expert said at a symposium on Tuesday.

Fructose No Substitute for Glucose in Diabetes

NEW YORK -- Although it negates the dumping of glucose directly into the bloodstream, fructose may not be the choice sweetener for diabetics, researchers said here.

Systolic BP That's Too Low After Stroke Not Good Either

Systolic blood pressure that is too low -- as well as too high -- may put patients who have had a noncardioembolic ischemic stroke at risk for another one, researchers found.

Airport Metal Detectors Safe for Pacemakers

Metal detector security screening appears safe for people with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers found.

High Blood Pressure May Spark Facial Nerve Pain

Patients with hypertension appear to carry a higher risk for developing trigeminal neuralgia, a Taiwanese study showed.

Anemia Worsens Surgical Outcomes

Patients who are anemic before going into surgery are at greater risk of death and other complications, researchers found.

HFSA: Controversy Highlighted at Upcoming Meeting

BOSTON -- Much progress has been made in managing heart failure, but there are still some areas of controversy that will be highlighted at the upcoming meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America here.

EASD: Gestational Diabetes Guidelines Controversial

LISBON -- International guidelines on screening for gestational diabetes that will likely raise the prevalence of the condition have sparked questions over appropriate diagnostic tools and cost efficacy, researchers said here.

Level of Diastolic Function Predicts Death

The presence of moderate or severe diastolic dysfunction in patients with preserved systolic function independently predicted mortality, a retrospective study determined.

Cancer Risk Forces Actos Off French, German Markets

Drug regulators in Germany and France have ordered doctors to stop prescribing the type 2 diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos), following a French study suggesting a heightened risk of bladder cancer.

Diet, Exercise Sufficient to Reduce Triglycerides

While cholesterol control is often balanced between statins and lifestyle changes, reducing triglycerides can usually be accomplished with diet and lifestyle changes alone, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

New ARB Cleared for Hypertension Treatment

The FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil (Edarbi), an oral angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) for hypertension, expanding the ranks of ARBs now available to U.S. patients.

Cardiologist Who Revealed Echo Errors Out of a Job

MILWAUKEE -- A cardiologist whose research at a national medical meeting revealed that other doctors at her hospital were misreading a substantial number of diagnostic echocardiograms has been fired by that hospital, the Journal Sentinel and 番茄社区 have learned.

Abnormal Liver Enzymes No Reason to Avoid Statins

Statins are not only safe and effective for patients with liver enzyme abnormalities but also appear to improve their liver function, researchers found.

AHA: Rivaroxaban Scores Win While Omega-3 Flops

CHICAGO -- Good news and not so good news about investigational treatments for atrial fibrillation are featured in this exclusive InFocus video report from the American Heart Association meeting.

Artificial Heart Now Sold Online

The maker of the only FDA-approved temporary total artificial heart has opened an online store to take orders for the device and its accessories.

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