Caution: Many archived news links expire quickly from parent sites. J24 Complement activation is increases in patients with age-related macular degeneration. J24 In acute study, fructose increases lipogenesis relative to glucose. J23 NEJM: Genetic mutation associated with most patients who develop myopathy on high-dose statins. J23 Texas ESRD Network hurricane resource site J23 Hurricane Dolly now at south Texas coast. J23 How bacterial biofilms use chemical weapons against amoebas J23 Scientists isolate compound in saliva that speeds wound healing. J22 Dr. Arnold Kim gives up nephrology practice to attend to his Mac blogging site and other projects. J22 As travel costs rise, more meetings go virtual. J22 House Appropriations Subcommittee increases proposed FDA budget by more than 20% to over 2 billion dollars per year. J22 The cold, cruel facts?: Disease prevention programs may not lower costs in the long run? J22 Ezetimibe plus simvastatin drug trial shows no effect on aortic valve stenosis progression. J22 Prostate cancer drug abiraterone hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced disease. J22 Ice-tea aficionado develops kidney stones J22 Woman who claimed water-loading diet caused brain damage due to seizures wins lawsuit. J21 Dr. Joseph Letteri, an expert in kidney treatment; in memoriam J21 Advance lowers risk of rejection of animal tissues. J21 Anti-bacterial actions of cranberry juice explained by its action on fimbriae. J21 Adding calcium hydroxide to seawater may reverse global warming. J21 Drug industry: No more free pens, pads, or mugs for docs. J21 Singapore mulls legal kidney trading. J21 FDA finds incriminated Salmonella strain on jalapeno peppers J19 Human blood vessels grown in mice J18 In-center nocturnal dialysis in Colorado in the news. J18 Donor nephrectomy via umbilical incision shortens donor post-op recovery time. J18 Jonathan Himmelfarb to lead new Kidney Research Institute based in Seattle. J17 Low-carb vs. low-fat supporters fight over importance of NEJM study on NY Times blog. J17 FDA retracts Salmonella-related warning against eating raw tomatoes. Peppers still a potential risk factor. J17 Genetic variant identified that increases risk of elevated triglycerides fourfold in Asian Americans. J17 Peptidoglycans from gut bacteria may induce C. albicans to transform into infectious variant. J17 Radiocontrast nephropathy studies may overestimate risk of AKI, since creatinine often increases in controls patients, also. J17 U.S. population keeps getting fatter; esp. Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. J17 FDA safety recall: Sodium polystyrene sulfonate contaminated with yeast. J17 AHA to launch new journal focusing on cardiovascular outcomes trials and methodology. J17 Whole fruits and fruit juices have opposite effects on diabetes risk in Nurses' Health Study J17 Atkins was right after all. NEJM study confirms benefits of low-carb and Mediterannean diets vs. low-fat diet. J17 NEJM study shows that IVIG plus rituximab increases transplant success rates in HLA-sensitized patients. J16 Doctors hopeful that improved blood thinners are on the horizon: Three new candidates. J16 Annals: Low molecular weight heparin for 7 days better than stockings after arthroscopic knee surgery. J16 Has the Achilles heel of the HIV virus been located? J16 Cyclosporine increases expression of VEGF. Is this a mechanism for post-transplant cancer risk? J16 Congress overrides Bush veto on Medicare bill that prevents physician payment cuts. J15 Are kidney transplants performed at night less successful? A small European study suggests this possibility. J15 GAO recommends prior authorization by Medicare of physican office-based diagnostic imaging tests. J15 Bush to veto Medicare physician's pay patch bill today; Congress set to override. J14 Will global warming spark a rise in kidney stone incidence? J14 Ortho Biotech and Amgen resolve antitrust lawsuit. J14 Japanese build DNA sewing machine. J14 Sodium phenyl butyrate (PBA) may prolong life of pancreatic beta cells in type 2 diabetes. J14 Nurses struggle with implications of new CMS policy re non-reimbursable adverse events. J14 Track the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games J14 CKD screening shows that a high percentage of Australia's indigenous population has kidney disease. J14 FDA warning: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with avastin plus sunitinib. J14 Amgen's osteoporosis drug denosumab found effective in maintaining bone density in prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation. J13 Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor SAHA found to have anti-immune effects in graft vs. host disease. J12 Triathlon athlete and dialysis patient Shad Ireland in the news. J12 Pioneering heart surgeon Michael DeBakey dies at age 99. J11 Dialysis patients in Scotland can access their lab results on-line. J11 FDA lists May 2008 labeling changes: Aranesp (tumor progression) and CellCept (lymphoma and PML risk) J11 Angiodynamics recalls its Centros dialysis catheter due to inadequate cuff attachment. J11 U.S. News issues its annual rankings of hospitals by specialty. J11 White House threatens to veto bill rescinding physician Medicare payment cuts. Does the Senate have the votes to override? J11 Scientists image prostate cancer that has metastasized to pelvic lymph nodes. J10 Aspirin may benefit patients with osteoporosis: a possible mechanism identified. J10 Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors protect ischemic tissue from injury. J10 Computational biology approach leads to better understanding of immune response to presented antigen. J10 Time of day affects antibody response to vaccination in men, but not women. Morning is best. J10 U.S. National Public Radio examines health care system in 5 European countries. J09 New form of Creutzfeld-Jakob-type of dementia discovered in the United States - no obvious cause. J09 Salmonella outbreak continues: jalapeno peppers now thought to be a cause. J09 Medicare bill that rescinds physician payment cuts passes in Senate with veto-proof majority. J09 ESRD Network 14 (Texas) alert regarding contamination of at least one lot of Morton salt pellets by sodium ferrocyanide. J09 Androgen-deprivation therapy does not help when given to older men with localized prostate cancer vs.watchful waiting alone.. J09 Fresenius signs sublicensing agreement with Luitpold to use Venofer in United States patients. J08 Phosphate in CKD conference; September 26, 2008 in New York City. J08 Stanford researchers find molecule that kills kidney cancer cells, STF-62247. J08 Farm-raised tilapia fish has relatively low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. J08 Fish oil plus red yeast lower cholesterol to the same extent as statin therapy. J08 Transplant tourists running out of destinations. J08 FDA adds boxed warning on risk of tendon rupture associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics. J08 Overweight patients trying to lose weight lose twice as much if they keep a food diary. J07 Swiss study suggests an 8% increase in failure rate when a male kidney is given to a woman recipient. J07 Medicare double delay: Senate fails to act and CMS holds physician claims. J07 Dr. Allen Alfrey, discoverer of the cause of aluminum-related dialysis dementia, in memoriam. J07 Fresenius Medical buys heparin-maker APP pharmaceuticals. J03 NEJM: Scanning the blood for circulating tumor cells using DNA technology helps guide treatment of metastatic disease. J03 VA/NIH study of dialysis dose in acute kidney failure published in NEJM J03 Statins spur glial progenitor cells to develop into oligodendrocytes. J03 Pfizer will no longer work directly with for-profit CME companies. J03 Novel antibiotic ceftobirole kills even the most resistant Staph. aureus. J03 CMS releases 2007 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures report (.pdf) J03 Secondary analysis of CHOIR data suggests that high EPO doses, rather than high Hb per se, associated with mortality. J03 FDA panel recommends that all new diabetes drugs be screened for cardiovascular risk. J02 New orally active, broad-spectrum angiogenesis inhibitor may be useful against many cancers. J02 Secret of herpesvirus latency discovered in strands of microRNA. J01 Caffeine intake increases rate at which muscle replenishes glycogen stores after exercise. J01 Indocyanine green plus laser light kills even resistant bacteria; application to wound infections. J01 Medicare proposes changes for dialysis reimbursement. J01 More on the physician Medicare payment cut battle in the Congress. J01 FDA may start focusing more on software reliability in medical devices. J01 Bills pending in Congress would remove Supreme Court shield for medical device manufacturers. J01 Doxycycline-inhibitable protease activity increased in SHR rats; this also may explain various aspects of metabolic syndrome. J30 Doctors get temporary reprieve on Medicare cuts. J30 Cancer cure strategy in mice to be tested in humans: transfusion of allogeneic cancer-killing leukocytes. J30 Volcanoes turn out to be an important source of mercury pollution. J30 Calcium supplementation alone does not reduce hip fracture risk in the elderly (new meta-analysis) J30 AHA publishes cookbook focusing on healthy soul food recipes J30 Sudden hearing loss associated with increased risk of future stroke. J30 AHA launches hearthub.org, a website for patients. J30 Prevalence of silent cerebral infarction in healthy (mean age 62) people at 11% in MRI study. J30 AMA delegates oppose CMS no pay policy for "preventable" conditions that develop during hospital stay. J28 Mortality rates similar at for-profit and not-for-profit dialysis chain patients; former use more EPO and IV iron. J28 Bill to approve pathway for FDA approvals of biosimilars advocated as saving billions of dollars. J28 Senate fails to take up legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut. J28 FDA/Roche: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) warnings added to mycophenolate labeling. J26 Fructose, but not glucose, increases visceral adipose tissue and triglycerides, and lower insulin sensitivity. J26 Testing of athletes for illicit EPO use has high rate of false negatives. J26 Gastric vagal block surgery less invasive, than bariatric surgery, but also effective in causing weight loss. J26 Two siRNA in the Phase I/II pipeline for kidney disease, one for delayed graft function, the other for AKI J26 Cethromycin for community-acquited MRSA. J26 Allen Nissenson hired as Chief Medical Officer of DaVita J25 R provides open access software for statistical analysis and graphing of results. J25 House Medicare bill and the politics of competitive bidding for medical equipment J25 Off topic - new technology: Compressed air cars on the near horizon (watch video) J25 House votes to block cut in physician Medicare fees. J25 MRSA skin infections becoming commonplace in healthy athletes. J25 Site indentified at which microRNAs may down-regulate immune response. J25 Impending Medicare reimbursement cuts may affect delivery of care J25 African Americans excrete less potassium in the urine, and it's not all due to dietary intake. J25 Excessive amounts of lead found in indoor/outdoor carpeting and artificial grass. J25 Radiofrequence equipment ID tags can halt dialysis machines, change ventilator settings, alter syringe pump performance in the ICU. J25 Obesity drug rimonabant approved for NHS use in England and Wales. J25 Breast-cancer gene BRCA2 linked to much shorter survival after prostate cancer. J24 Take your meds and have a chance at winning the lottery. J24 House reps Dingell and Barton plan bill pushing nationwide adoption of electronic medical record systems. J23 Some academic sites offering on-line second opinion services. J23 Brouhaha over inclusion of Social Security numbers on Medicare ID cards: Would take 8 years to change? J23 Rapamycin may impact retardation in tuberous sclerosis and might be useful in treating autism. J23 New source of cardiac stem cells found in the epicardium J21 Might Tai-Chi benefit CKD patients who can't sleep well? J20 ANNA Monthly enewsletter, June, 2008 J20 Abbott Labs research grant solicitation on VDRA: Deadline is June 30th. J20 Stem cells give old muscles new pep J19 Some pathogenic bacteria use nanosyringe to inject host cells with toxins. J19 Might exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation be beneficial? J19 Is fluoride in drinking water safe for patients with CKD? J19 FDA cautions about increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia who had been treated with antipsychotic drugs J19 Investigation of deaths at Lufkin dialysis center: How alleged criminal activity was uncovered. J18 DNA-modified bacteria eat plant waste and excrete fuel oil. J18 Computer generated warfarin dosing as effective as dosing by expert prescribers. J18 HHV-8 herpes virus linked to ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes in Africa. J17 Big breakfast diet more effective than low-carb diet in maintaining weight loss. J17 Diabetes doubles the risk of hearing loss. J16 Transportation fees impact some Canadian diaysis patients. J16 British Medical Journal hosts interchange of views on appropriateness of paying live organ donors. J16 Patients only rarely use online ratings to pick physicians. J16 Do patients with combined liver/kidney transplants really need the kidney portion? J16 Eating in response to stress? Ghrelin could be the reason why. J16 Studies with fat cells suggest that resveratrol may help combat obesity. J16 Etanercept slows cyst formation in a mouse model of PKD via inhibiting TNF-alpha. J13 Senate Republicans block debate on Baucus bill, that would have delayed Medicare payment cuts. J13 FDA and EMEA to consider biomarkers of renal injury in animal studies evaluating renal safety of new drugs. J12 Baxter avian flu vaccine shows promise in early testing. J12 XBP1, stimulated by a high-carb diet, may be a new target for treatment of dyslipidemias. J12 Sequential treatment of lupus in women with cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate preserves ovarian function. J12 Patch-based vaccine effective against traveler's diarrhea. J12 A subgroup of retinal cells linked to circadian cycle resetting and insomnia. J12 FDA approves generic form of ramipril made by Lupin pharmaceuticals. J11 Vitamin D protects heart-failure-prone rats against heart failure when fed a high-salt diet. J11 Lupus more severe, and nephritis more common, in patients with Southern European ancestry. J11 Fresenius helps to provide dialysis supplies to China earthquake victims. J11 CMS gives researchers access to parts of the Medicare prescription drug benefit database. J11 FDA: Concern about potential cancer risk in users of Regranex (becaplermin) gel (used to help heal foot ulcers in diabetics). J11 ANNA releases new editions of its Certification Review Guide and Core Curriculum J11 The American Heart Association translates key parts of its website to Spanish, Vietnamese, and simplified Chinese. J11 Doctor of nursing practice degree - will this grant clinical privileges similar to that of an MD? J10 Rosiglitazone may slow progression of diabetic eye disease. J10 Would the proposed Baucus bill threaten smaller dialysis providers? J10 Baucus unveils Medicare payment reform legislation that would impact on ESRD reimbursement. J10 Study suggests existence of more than one stem cell population in a single organ (intestinal tract) J10 One more argument against smoking: Increased risk of age-related hearing loss. J10 Etanercept plus exenatide increases efficacy of islet cell transplants over the standard Edmonton protocol. J10 Eating diet rich in oily fish associated with markedly reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration. J10 Large Australian RCT specifically shows that lowering HbA1C in diabetics to a 6.5% target protects the kidney. J10 NEJM: Full text of ADVANCE trial, which showed a benefit of intensive glucose control (HbA1C to 6.5%) J09 NEJM: Glycemic control in the ADVANCE vs. ACCORD trials (editorial) J09 NEJM: ACCORD trial results published (full text): Intensive blood glucose lowering in diabetes may worsen outcomes. J09 Myeloma drug Velcade (bortezomib) shows promise in treating lupus in an animal model. J09 Observational study associated low 25-D levels with poor CV outcomes in peritoneal dialysis patients. J09 High blood levels of 25-vitamin D may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer. J09 VA diabetes trial reports at ADA. Lowering HbA1c below 7% associated with a trend for improved CV outcomes. J09 115 year old woman found to have essentially normal brain on autopsy, with no evidence of Alzheimer's disease. J09 Search abstracts being presented at the 2008 American Diabetes Association meeting. J09 Study suggests benefits of a short nap for night-shift healthcare workers. M21 Former Amgen executive Dr. Robert Brenner moves to AMAG. M21 Modest red wine (but not beer) ingestion actually may lower risk of NAFLD - non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. M21 Protein structure is deciphered of steap3, a protein that regulates iron absorption in the gut. M21 Denosumab (target of which is RANK ligand) increases bone mineral density more than continued alendronate treatment in postmenopausal women. M20 Small adrenal masses found incidentally on computed tomography almost exclusively benign. M20 NEJM: Palevsky-VA/NIH study shows that daily HD or more intense CRRT of no benefit in acute kidney injury M20 Investigation into dialysis center deaths focuses on temporary use of 1.0 K dialysate concentrate. M20 Google health now accepting patient information. M19 Results VA/NIH study on dialysis dose in acute kidney injury to be presented tomorrow, May 20th, in Toronto at ATS2008. M19 A new discovery regarding pathogenesis of lupus - abnormal editing of genes. M19 Vaccine targeting amyloid beta protein prevents Alzheimer's disease in mice. M19 Silver-coated endotracheal tube use dramatically reduces resistant infections in ICU patients. M19 Protein that mimics phagocyte defensins effective against resistant bacteria on in vitro testing. M19 Two California patients may have been rejected for liver transplant because of medical marijuana use. M19 Breast cancer risk gene BRCA2 now also tied to prostate cancer risk. M19 American Society of Hypertension Annual Meeting (May 14-17) - abstracts at this link M19 Capsaicin plus a derivative of lidocaine cause pain relief without numbness. Will it work for cannulation pain? M19 Sports utility vehicle crashes into University of Kansas dialysis center. M19 Didusch center historical exhibit on Women Healers (7.5 mb .pdf file) M18 Nephrology nurse practitioner and physician assistant meeting to be held July 17-18 in Arlington, VA. M18 Didusch center for urologic history collections M18 New superdrug may be useful against MRSA superbugs. M17 FDA issues warning about birth defects in infants when mother took mycophenolate (MMF) during pregnancy. M17 Is marrying your first cousin truly dangerous in terms of offspring? A critical examination of the data. M17 FDA convenes to examine impact of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical, and now, medical device, advertising. M17 Patient deaths at dialysis unit may have been caused by an employee with criminal intent. M17 Former head of UCLA cadaver program indicted for selling body parts on the side, profiting directly from sales. M16 Everolimus significantly delays progression of kidney cancer. M16 View abstracts, posters being presented at the American Urologic Association annual meeting, May 17-22. M16 Lymphocytic choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) - infected transplant organs cause 1 death and 1 serious injury at Boston-area hospital. M16 Heparin-coated thoracic drainage catheters being recalled because of OSCS contamination. M16 MMWR: CDC recommends herpes zoster vaccine for all persons over age 60. M16 Is on-line hemodiafiltration finally coming to the U.S.? M16 Small molecule found that can disassemble amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. M16 MIT research team crafts films resistant to bacterial adhesion. M16 New NHANES analysis finds CV mortality increased in patients following a lower salt intake. M16 Local injection of muscle-derived autologous stem cells helps restore continence post-prostatectomy. M15 Lower-dose tissue plasminogen activator treatment improves survival in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. M15 Canadian scientists discover how tuberculosis bacteria evade destruction by macrophages. M15 AFP Pharma raises price of heparin. Cost of a typical dialysis treatment will go up by a half-dollar. M15 Fluvastatin found to markedly lower viral load in hepatitis C. M15 Biopterin derivative may be effective treatment for severe heart failure. M15 University of New Hampshire group enhances the immunomodulatory effects of IVIG by modifying its sialic acid residues M14 Yale scientists isolate estrogen-like substance secreted by osteoblasts. M14 Dialysis access consortium trial results (clopidogrel) published in JAMA: less clotting, but no difference re AVF usability. M13 Kidney market shut as Pakistan cuts supply. M13 NxStage reports that it was able to double number of home dialysis patients in past year. M13 Abstracts from 2008 Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology at this link. M13 Preop beta blockers reduce heart attack risk but markedly increase total mortality. M13 Texting kids to take their medicine may increase compliance. M13 Prism eyeglasses expand view for patients with stroke-induced hemianopia. M12 Should the NKF KDOQI staging system for CKD be modified? M12 CPR rescuers do not need to stop compression while administering defibrillator shocks. M12 Preeclampsia-like condition develops in mice with knockout of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene M12 U.S. Health Secretary: Chinese heparin now should be safe. M12 Ultraviolet light reflecting lotion used to assess thoroughness of cleaning of toilets in a hospital setting. M12 Searchable link to ERA-EDTA 2008 abstracts M12 ERA-EDTA Congress in Stockholm - day by day highlights. M09 FDA reissues heparin alert, since contaminated heparin still stocked in a number of hospitals. M09 Int Soc Hemodialysis to present 2008 award to Dr. Bernard Charra in Vincenza, June 3-6. M09 DaVita Clinical Research completes record number of trials in 2007 M09 Darapladib lowers the activity of inflammatory enzyme associated with vascular plaque. M09 Computer gaming approach may help solve protein folding and structure problems. M09 Acrylamide intake associated with risk of kidney cancer. M08 Dr. Marmot honored as recipient of Baxter-funded health services research prize for his work describing links between heart failure and socioeconomic status. M07 New hospital superbug to worry about: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia M07 Being multilingual associated with improved cognition at advanced age. M07 Polymer coated artificial nanoworms circulate for hours, evading the immune system, and could be used to attack tumor cells. M07 S100A1 protein found in heart, blood vessels; linked to heart damage and to hypertension. M07 JASN: Calcitriol associated with a lower mortality in pre-ESRD patients. M07 Women at high risk for CV events are not benefitted by homocysteine-lowering regimen of B vitamins (JAMA). M07 Incenter nocturnal dialysis offered at FMC Savannah unit in the news. M06 Abbott launches investigator-initiated grant program focusing on nonclassical actions of vitamin D receptors: App deadline June 30.. M06 PNAS: Erythropoietin promoter polymorphisms associated with diabetic retinopathy and progression to ESRD. M05 CJASN July preview: Niacinamide effective as a phosphate binder. M05 The leader of the MIT team who helped solve the heparin contamination mystery. M05 ASN Renal Week abstract archives 2003-2006 now available on-line in .pdf format. M05 National Physician Identifier number must be used on insurance claim forms to get paid after May 23rd. M05 FDA Study: Injuries and deaths linked to insulin pump use in teens. M04 Give young persons 50,000 dollars to donate a kidney? Skeptics fear abuse and exploitation. M04 Study suggests that the number of fat cells is set for life at adolescence, without change during dieting or weight gain. M04 Nature genetics: More obesity genes found M02 NIDDK starts funding investigator-initiated multicenter studies using a 2-part process (U34 and U01). M02 New ACE 2 activator compounds lower blood pressure in rats and also reduce cardiac and renal fibrosis. M02 Virginia patient bleeds to death during dialysis due to disconnected bloodline tubing. M02 Protozoans may ingest E. Coli, and carry them on the surface of vegetables like spinach and lettuce. M01 Both houses of Congress now have passed GINA - genetic anti-discrimination bill. Bush says he will sign it. M01 MMWR: Acute renal failure associated with cosmetic soft tissue filler injections. M01 AAKP urges Congress to support bill providing immunosuppressive drug coverage for transplant recipients. M01 AAKP urgers Senator Kerry to support pilot home hemodialysis program. M01 Obesity linked to heart failure and inflammatory mediator elevation in observational study. A30 Rash of unexpected deaths at dialysis facility prompt investigation. A30 Looking for a job? The FDA plans to hire 1300 people in the near future. A30 Robotic wheelchair uses lasers to dock with cars. A30 Silver nanoparticles may be harmful to the environment if allowed to enter waste water system.