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Nephrology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in nephrology.

Take Rosiglitazone Off the Market, Says FDA Staff

WASHINGTON -- Rosiglitazone (Avandia) should be pulled from the market because of the "serious" cardiovascular risk the diabetes drug poses, which exceeds that of competitor pioglitazone (Actos), FDA staff reviewers again recommended.

Common Antibiotic Linked to Elevated Potassium

Among older individuals, the commonly used antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is associated with the development of hyperkalemia requiring hospitalization, researchers found.

ASH: Hypertension Plus Tachycardia Equals High Risk

NEW YORK -- An elevated resting heart rate is associated with an increased risk of cardiac events in high-risk hypertension, according to a secondary analysis of a large randomized trial.

ACC: FDA Announces Review of ACCORD Data

ATLANTA -- The FDA said it will conduct a full review of findings from a study which concluded that neither aggressive lipid-lowering therapy nor tight blood pressure control reduced cardiovascular events in persons with diabetes.

ASCO GU: BP Reveals Hit or Miss for Targeted Tx

SAN FRANCISCO -- Early response to preoperative targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma may indicate efficacy, while treatment-induced hypertension may be another marker after surgery, according to studies reported here.

Stinky Diabetes Drug May Result in Poor Adherence

An immediate-release form of the antidiabetic agent metformin has a dead fish odor that may cause patients to stop taking the drug, clinicians warned.

Canadian Politician Comes to U.S. for Heart Surgery

The top politician in Canada's easternmost province has set off fireworks by deciding to go to the U.S. for heart surgery.

Hidden Dangers of Herbal Meds Reviewed

Herbal medicines are not always the harmless nostrums that many patients and even some physicians think, but may actually contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, researchers warned.

Angiography Okay for Kidney Patients

Using coronary angiography to test whether a patient's heart is fit enough to undergo kidney transplant is not as dangerous as once thought, researchers found.

FDA Finds Oral Insulin Spray Safe for IND Use

The FDA approved Oral-lyn, an insulin spray treatment for type I and type II diabetes, for its Investigational New Drug program.

Kidney Disease Raises Risk of Hypoglycemia

WHEELING, W.Va. -- Dangerous hypoglycemic episodes are a significant risk for patients with chronic kidney disease, whether they have diabetes or not, researchers said.

Weight-Loss Trial Final Report: 52 Pounds of Fat Melted Away

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The official results are in: My ending weight was 231 pounds -- a loss of 52 pounds from my starting weight of 283 pounds in January 2008.

Diastolic Dysfunction Predicts Reduced Exercise Capacity

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Exercise may be good for the heart, but good diastolic function also appears to protect the capacity for exercise, researchers found.

Survival on Peritoneal Dialysis Varies by Age, Health, Timing

ADELAIDE, Australia -- The choice between peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis does not have a one-size-fits-all answer, researchers found.

Pregnancy Risks Differ for Interracial Couples

STANFORD, Calif. -- The risk for some pregnancy complications may be greater when one partner is white and the other Asian, researchers found.

Normal Enzyme Levels May Hide Advanced Liver Fibrosis

MILAN, Italy -- Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease but normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are still at risk of severe hepatic disease, researchers found.

Herpes Virus Linked to Ketosis-Prone Diabetes

PARIS -- A herpes virus is associated with an atypical form of type 2 diabetes found in people of African origin, researchers said here.

Parents Pass On Hypertension Risk to Their Children

BALTIMORE -- Men whose parents have hypertension are at an increased risk for developing high blood pressure themselves, a longitudinal cohort study showed.

Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) Plus Calcium Warning Extended to Adults

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- For any patient at any age, calcium and ceftriaxone (Rocephin) are a dangerous combination that can increase the risk of lethal precipitates forming in the lungs and kidneys, according to the FDA.

Boxed Heart Failure Warning Added to Two Diabetes Drugs

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The makers of rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos), have agreed to add a black box warning to the type 2 diabetes drugs' labels about an increased risk of heart failure, the FDA said today.

Scleroderma Patients Are Living Longer

WASHINGTON -- The lifespan for patients with scleroderma has increased significantly since the 1970s, in large measure because of a decline in deaths from renal disease.

FDA Orders Black Box Warning for Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA today ordered black-box warnings for all gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, detailing an increased risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis with kidney-disease patients.

Heartburn Remedy May Help Treat Heart Failure

SUITA CITY, Japan -- Heart failure patients who added 30 mg of Pepcid (famotidine) to standard therapy significantly improved NYHA functional class and reduced plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels compared with those given 150 mg of teprenone.

High Blood Pressure Lowers Walking Ability in Elderly

CHICAGO -- High blood pressure appears to impair older patients' ability to walk, and the reason may be more than just peripheral arterial disease.

Cleansing the Bowel for Colonoscopy May Harm the Kidneys

NEW YORK - Oral sodium phosphate solutions are great at cleaning out the bowel prior to colonoscopy, but in some patients these powerful purgatives can also do a serious number on the kidneys, caution Columbia researchers.

Drugs That Lower Blood Pressure Also Prevent Headaches

LONDON - Four classes of drugs that lower blood pressure also prevent headaches, say researchers here who analyzed data from 94 randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

IBD Patients Prone to Other Autoimmune or Inflammatory Disorders

PHILADELPHIA-Patients with the inflammatory bowel disorders ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are significantly more likely to suffer from other conditions with an inflammatory or autoimmune basis, said researchers in two separate studies.

Crestor Called Less Safe Than Other Statins

BOSTON-Adverse event reports from the FDA suggest that Crestor is more likely to cause muscle and kidney damage than other major statins (Lipitor, Pravachol or Zocor), researchers here reported in the journal Circulation.

FDA Approves 'Gila Monster' Diabetes Drug

ROCKVILLE, Md.-The FDA announced today it has approved a new injectable diabetes drug synthesized from gila monster saliva, but says the drug should only be used in combination with older oral medications.

Comedian George Lopez Has Genetic Kidney Disease

LOS ANGELES-Comedian George Lopez, who had a kidney transplant last week, is said to be suffering from a genetic kidney disorder, possibly polycystic kidney disease.