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January 2008 Issue of Renal And Urology News

Editor's Letter

Be Ready to Give Up Beliefs

Physicians practice medicine with great sincerity. They want to help their sick patients get well and stay well, and they dole out treatments in good ...

World Literature Review

Obesity Does Not Worsen Renal Transplant Outcomes

Obesity by itself is not associated with worse renal transplant outcomes, Australian investigators recently concluded.

Antibody Assay Could Aid in Assessing Prostate Disease

Using an assay they developed to detect antibodies to Propionibacterium acnes bacteria, researchers have found a link between these bacteria and development of inflammation-related prostate ...

In Taiwan, Most Incontinent Women Do Not Seek Help

Almost 30% of Taiwanese women aged 60 years and older suffer from urinary incontinence (UI), but most do not visit a doctor for the condition, ...

MMF Similar to Conventional Therapies for MN, FSGS

A six-month course of treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is as effective as conventional therapies for treating membranous nephropathy (MN) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), ...

FDA News

Initial-Use Combo Drug for BP Lowering Approved

The FDA has cleared the antihypertensive agent Avalide (irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide) as the first combination therapy for initial use in patients who are likely to ...

Glucose Monitor Cleared to Be Calibrated with Any Meter

DexCom, Inc., of San Diego, announced that it has received approval to calibrate Seven, its seven-day continuous glucose monitoring system, using any FDA-cleared blood glucose ...

New Indication for Slowing Atherosclerosis in Elevated-Cholesterol Patients

Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) from AstraZeneca has received a new indication as an adjunct to diet to slow the progression of atherosclerosis in adult patients with ...

Monthly Maintenance Dosing to Treat Renal Anemia Okayed

Roche announced that the FDA has approved Mircera (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta) for the treatment of anemia associated with CKD in adults, including dialysis patients ...

Legal Issues

Hard Times Lead to Layoffs at a Struggling HMO Clinic

Ms. J, 60, was a nurse administrator at a large HMO clinic for most of her career. Her duties were mostly recruiting, scheduling, and resolving ...

Malpractice News

Insurance Companies Grade Doctors' Personalities

Next time you apply for malpractice insurance, don't be surprised if the company requires a personality profile.

Illinois' Damages Cap Loses Round in Court

Illinois' two-year-old malpractice reform is unconstitutional because it limits the amount a plaintiff can collect, a state judge has ruled.

Woman Sues Her Doctor, Then Her Lawyers

A malpractice suit filed against a group of personal injury lawyers by a woman who had sued her doctor can move forward, a New York ...

Renal Nutrition Update

Calcium Citrate Benefits Challenged

The established practice for preventing urinary calculi is being challenged by results of a recent study (Whitson et al, Urology. 2007;70:634-637), which showed no correlation ...

General News

CMV Prophylaxis is Superior in Pancreas Transplant Recipients

CHICAGO—Twelve weeks of cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis may work better than preemptive therapy in preventing CMV disease in pancreas transplant recipients who are CMV positive preoperatively.

Consider Nitrofurantoin for Cystitis

FIVE-DAY COURSES of nitrofurantoin are equivalent clinically and microbiologically to three-day courses of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) for treating acute uncomplicated cystitis in women, researchers say.

Eating Soy May Affect Sperm Counts

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Higher intake of soy foods and soy isoflavones may be associated with lower sperm concentrations, data suggest.

Gender Can Influence Stone Composition

SAN FRANCISCO—Significant gender differences need to be taken into account when making therapeutic decisions to prevent kidney stone recurrences, according to Canadian researchers. Women are ...

Glycemic Control Important

POOR GLYCEMIC control prior to initiating hemodialysis is associated with worse survival in diabetic patients, according to researchers in Japan.

Hemodilution Lowers PSA Levels

HEMODILUTION from increased circulating plasma volumes could explain why obese men with prostate cancer have lower serum PSA levels than non-obese men with the malignancy, ...

HIV-Infected Men Can Father Healthy Babies

WASHINGTON, D.C.—HIV infection in men need not be a barrier to fatherhood, according to new findings presented here at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine ...

Bowel Preps Can Cause Renal Damage

SAN FRANCISCO—The use of phosphate-containing solutions to prepare the bowel for colonoscopy or surgery may cause significant damage to the kidneys, according to a researcher ...

Little Added Risk When Hb Varies

THE RISK OF DEATH for patients with dialysis-related anemia is increased when hemoglobin levels are persistently low, not necessarily when they fluctuate, according to a ...

Nocturnal Dialysis is Better for Bone

SAN FRANCISCO—Nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) offers superior calcium-phosphate control when compared with conventional hemodialysis (CHD), suggesting that NHD could enhance bone protection, according to Canadian researchers.

No Change in Catheter Use Despite the Fistula First Project

SAN FRANCISCO—The use of central venous catheters (CVC) for dialysis access has not changed despite an increase in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) use, researchers reported here ...

Pre-ESRD Care, Insurance Type Linked

SAN FRANCISCO—Medicaid patients are less likely to have seen a nephrologist or kidney dietitian prior to starting renal replacement therapy (RRT) compared with patients covered ...

Propecia, Infertility Link Suspected

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A handful of cases suggest that finasteride (Propecia), a treatment for male pattern hair loss, may be harming male fertility.

Statin May Offer Renal Protection

ORLANDO—High-dose atorvastatin may preserve renal function in patients with cerebrovascular disease, a study shows.

Statins May Have Antimicrobial Effect

CHICAGO—Statins appear to be converted by the liver into compounds with antimicrobial activity, data suggest.

Testis Biopsy for Sperm is Unreliable

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Diagnostic testis biopsies in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) will not provide definitive proof as to whether sperm will be found with a more ...

Vardenafil Found Safe for Sperm Long Term

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Long-term use of vardenafil (Levitra) at the maximum recommended dosage does not adversely affect sperm concentration, total sperm count per ejaculate, or sperm ...