Author |
Message |
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 9:59 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported June 16, 2005 Undiagnosed Kidney Disease Common Among Diabetics By Stacie Overton, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent SAN DIEGO (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research presented this week at the American Diabetes Association’s Annual Scientific Sessions in San Diego shows that undiagnosed chronic kidney disease is common in patients with diabetes and the standard tests used to detect it may not be enough. Rachel Middleton, a researcher from Hope Hospital in the United Kingdom, presented her research at the meeting. She first explained diabetes is the single most common cause of end-stage kidney failure in the United Kingdom as well as the United States. Up to 30 percent of diabetics will develop nephropathy (or kidney disease). One of the goals of the study was to determine the effectiveness of standard tests in detecting kidney disease among people with diabetes. One of the tests, called a serum creatinine test, measures the amount of creatinine in the blood to determine if kidney damage is present. A second test measures the presence of microalbuminuria. Albumin is a protein present in the blood. The kidneys act as a filter for waste products in the blood, and protein should not be present in urine. If the kidneys are not filtering waste effectively, this protein may show up in the urine, indicating kidney damage. More than 7,500 people living in Salford in the United Kingdom were included in the study. Nearly 90 percent of them had type 2 diabetes. More than 6,000 of the patients had undergone a creatinine test within two years, but more than 50 percent had not had a microalbuminuria test, despite guidelines suggesting the test to be done annually. Nearly 30 percent of patients had later-stage kidney disease that went undetected. Older age and being female increased the likelihood of kidney disease. One important finding that Dr. Middleton points out is that 31.6 percent of females with chronic kidney disease had normal creatinine and normal microalbuminuria levels. She says this suggests the need for better testing among these patients. One such test is estimated GFR (glomerular filtration rate). According to the National Kidney Foundation, GFR is generally accepted as the best overall index of kidney function in health and disease but measuring it is cumbersome to do in a clinical setting. Because this study showed creatinine tests and microalbuminuria fail to identify a considerable number of people with kidney disease, Dr. Middleton says, "Estimated GFR should be incorporated into screening for chronic kidney disease." SOUCRE: Stacie Overton at the American Diabetes Association’s 65th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego, June 10-14, 2005
|
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 10:08 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported May 18, 2005 Alcohol Good for the Kidneys? (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Here’s another health benefit from moderate alcohol consumption: It might help fend off kidney disease. According to researchers who followed men enrolled in the long-running Physicians Health Study, consuming seven or more drinks a week is associated with about a 29-percent decreased risk of developing two hallmarks of kidney dysfunction, elevated creatinine levels and decreased glomerular filtration rates. About 11,000 men took part in the study. None had kidney disease at the beginning of the research. All reported how many alcoholic beverages they drank per week. Blood samples were taken 14 years later to determine kidney function. About 4 percent of the men had elevated creatinine levels, and around 11 percent had decreased glomerular filtration rates. Researchers saw only mild effects for alcohol consumption in the two to six drinks per week range. They couldn’t make any conclusions about the impact heavy alcohol use might make on kidney function, since only a few men in the study reported heavy drinking. However, they strongly believe the detrimental effects of heavy drinking -- defined as more than two drinks a day -- would probably outweigh any benefits at that point. The authors note previous studies have suggested drinking alcohol might harm the kidneys, but believe their study is the first to look at the effect of drinking on kidney function in healthy individuals. SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2005;165:1048-1053
|
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 10:21 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported January 12, 2006 ACE Inhibitors Treat Kidney Disease (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Patients with advanced kidney disease may be able to slow the progression of the disease. Researchers examined the effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients with stage IV chronic kidney disease. Currently the drugs are used to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, especially in patients with mild-to-moderate cases. Many physicians are reluctant to use ACE inhibitors in patients with advanced kidney disease, however, for fear serum creatinine or potassium levels will rise and the benefits of ACE inhibitors may not be better than controlling blood pressure alone. Researchers studied patients in southern China who had chronic kidney disease. The results show the ACE inhibitor, benazepril, along with conventional blood pressure treatment substantially helps non-diabetics who have stage IV chronic kidney disease}. Benazepril reduced the risk of the primary end point by 43-percent in patients very close to kidney failure during an average follow-up of about three-and-a-half years. Currently, 85 percent of patients with advanced kidney disease are not offered treatments to slow progression of the disease. Researchers say the study has important implications for the development of new therapeutic guidelines. They believe more research is needed to confirm how well benazepril is tolerated and how well it works in patients with stage IV chronic kidney disease. SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2006;354:131-140
|
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 10:26 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported April 1, 2005 New Marker for Diagnosing Kidney Failure Earlier (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A protein marker that can help diagnose kidney failure more quickly and earlier in children undergoing heart surgery has been identified, according to a new study. Lead study author Prasad Devarajan, M.D., from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and colleagues studied 71 children undergoing a cardiopulmonary bypass. Blood and urine samples were taken and levels of a protein known as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were measured. Results show high levels of NGAL were present in urine samples from the 20 children who developed kidney injury. The urine test for NGAL could diagnose kidney injury within two hours. A blood test for high creatinine levels could take one to three days. This new marker, according to researchers, could help bring about earlier treatment for kidney failure unlike a creatinine test, which may not be sensitive enough to detect a change until about 50 percent of kidney function is already lost. Authors conclude, "Interpretation concentrations in urine and serum of NGAL represent sensitive, specific and highly predictive early biomarkers for acute renal injury after cardiac surgery." SOURCE: The Lancet, 2005;365;1231-1238
|
Sunshyne4u
Member
06-17-2003
| Thursday, October 05, 2006 - 12:00 am
By the time Creatinine and BUN levels are increased there is significant kidney damage. Occ'ly we find that the results are almost normal yet the patients are having trouble. IF a person is diabetic they should be looked after a specialist so the proper tests can be ordered. Regular general Practioners often have a rudimentary knowledge of the indepth diagnostic knowledge that a test will give them. To truly test kidney function a 24 hr analysis Creatinine CLEARANCE test must be done (or xray pyelogram type procedure) **** The men who drink study is interesting. I'd suggest that someone who drinks in moderation would also drink other beverages which would help prevent Dehydration. The constant strain on the kidneys by alcohol and inconsistent fluid levels in the body would be lessened. What kind of alcohol is also a major factor. ((Is this a discussion thread or just for articles?- Herkle. If this post is in violation of what this thread is for maybe get a moderator to delete it, thx))
|
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 05, 2006 - 8:19 am
Sunshine, comments are ALWAYS welcome. I post this info as a help to anyone dealing with the particular problem, but I think people who are in the field and those battling the condition have LOTS to add. Just as you did!

|
Sunshyne4u
Member
06-17-2003
| Friday, October 06, 2006 - 1:52 pm
The trouble is....chemical analysis and functional tests give the physician values to look at. The trick of any diagnosis is to look at the whole picture and interpret the results from that slant. Kidney disfunction can be picked up and monitored long before any serious ramifications are dealt to the body. My cousin actually ended up needing a kidney transplant at 40. I couldnt understand what happened between her and her doctor when I found out she only had ONE functional kidney since her twenties. She evidently hadnt been TOLD!! Her and her husband would go on Booze Cruises in the Caribbean and Alcohol was a normal part of family get-togethers. IF a person is given a guide as to their kidney function they can CHOOSE to avoid too much salt and choose not to drink. I've always felt she was robbed of those choices. Knowledge is power. Some of my input will be a little dated as things change continuously but the 'old standbys' still are done primarily. That Kidney Marker is an interesting discovery. We have had early markers for Cardiac injury for years but this seems new. I just did some research on it, reading the actual Scientific research papers. It is a substance that is released by a person's White Blood Cells (specifically the neutrophil) whne it goes to clean up the mess of damage. therefore the value would give a good view of how much damage occurred. High damage, high Values. however, anyone with an immune disorder or impaired White Blood Cell function would not give a reliable test result. For instance, if a person had an abnormally low number of neutrophils, their result would be False low. Keep posting your discoveries! I love doing research and learning new things, especially since I am no longer able to work.
|
|