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June 2008 Issue of Renal And Urology News

World Literature Review

Broad Stroke Risk Benefit From BP-Lowering Observed

Antihypertensive treatment with perindopril prevents recurrent stroke in CKD patients across a wide spectrum of BP levels, according to Australian and Japanese researchers. They saw ...

HIFU May Be Feasible Option for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Focal therapy with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of localized prostate cancer provides immediate cancer control, comparable to that of other treatment modalities, according to Japanese ...

PCNL Improves Renal Function in Late-Stage CKD Patients

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) improves the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with stage 5 CKD, but unexpected deterioration in renal function could occur in ...

Legal Issues

Elderly Driver Kills Child, Mother Blames Doctor

Dr. L, 63, was a general practitioner in the suburbs of a northeastern city. He had a reputation among colleagues and patients for being compassionate ...

Malpractice News

Medical Errors Tab: $9 Billion, 238,000 Lives

Patient safety incidents (PSIs)—many of them preventable—cost 238,337 lives and $8.8 billion federal tax dollars between 2004 and 2006, a watchdog group reports.

Initiatives Promise Earlier Warnings of Drug Risks

Adverse drug reactions—or interactions—can increase your exposure to a malpractice lawsuit. New initiatives are underway to let doctors know about potential dangers more quickly than ...

Physicians to Receive Safety Alerts by E-mail

The recently launched Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) will speed FDA safety alerts to physicians by e-mail. Insurance companies expect the system to cut the ...

Ongoing Clinical Trials

The following listings of clinical trials are based on information from the ClinicalTrials.gov Web site maintained by the National Institutes of Health. Only trials that ...

Renal Nutrition Update

Phosphorus Control Strategies in CKD

IMPAIRED BONE mineral metabolism is prevalent in CKD patients, presenting a special challenge for patients and renal health professionals. By stage 5 CKD, an estimated ...

Your Money

Small Stocks: Regaining Investor Appeal

IN THE RECENT market downturn, small stocks have been hit particularly hard. During the 12 months ending in March, the average small-cap fund lost 11.6%, ...

Why You Should Try to Avoid Trendy Funds

SEEKING TO attract new investors, fund companies have brought out numerous specialized choices. The fledgling funds include Claymore S&P Global Water and T. Rowe Price ...

General News

Acrylamide May Hike RCC Risk

DIETARY INTAKE of acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen, may be associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer, according to a report in the ...

ARF Linked to Cosmetic Lifts

Acute renal failure developed in three women who received cosmetic soft-tissue filler injections in the buttocks at a North Carolina facility, according to a recent ...

AV Fistulas Aid Survival

GRAPEVINE, Tex.—Diabetes mellitus and cardiac disease are not associated with shorter life expectancy among patients aged 70 years and older when they commence dialysis, but ...

Blood Flow May Affect Graft Survival Rates

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Catheter-based blood flow measured at the end of hemodialysis access revascularization procedures may predict graft survival, new data suggest.

BP Screening Varies by MD Specialty

PATIENTS WHO visit doctors other than a cardiologist, an internist, or general or family practitioner are less likely to be screened for hypertension, a study ...

Coated Stent Fixes AV Access Rupture

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The fluency expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE)-coated stent is effective for treating angioplasty-related extravasation in arteriovenous (AV) grafts and fistulae. Data showed a high rate of ...

Elevated BMI Raises UI Risk

Women who avoid high BMI and waist circumference may have a lower risk for having urinary incontinence (UI), researchers reported in Obesity (2008;16:881-886).

EVAR Boosts Renal Intervention Risk

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Patients with an endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) should be considered a high-risk group for renal artery interventions and receive closer post-procedure surveillance.

High Levels of Uric Acid Linked to CKD Death Risk

GRAPEVINE, Tex.—High levels of uric acid are associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, researchers conclude.

Kidney Stones Associated with Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of kidney stones, data suggest. The finding comes from a study of 18,825 men and women aged 20 years ...

Magnesium Halts Vascular Calcification

ORLANDO—A small pilot study suggests that magnesium may prevent or delay progression of vascular calcification in hemodialysis patients without a detrimental effect on bone, researchers ...

No Fat, Prostate Cancer Link

A European study revealed no link between dietary fat intake and the risk of prostate cancer, according to a report in the American Journal of ...

NHD May Offer a Fertility Benefit

MOUNTING EVIDENCE suggests that nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) has advantages over conventional hemodialysis (CHD), and improved pregnancy rates may be one of them, according to a ...

New Device Could Help AKI Patients

A RENAL tubule assist device (RAD) may help improve survival of patients with acute kidney injury(AKI), new data show.

New Device Could Help AKI Patients

A RENAL tubule assist device (RAD) may help improve survival of patients with acute kidney injury(AKI), new data show.

N-3 Fatty Acids May Lower HD Patients' Triglycerides

Treatment with n-3 polyunsaturated acids (PUFA) may help hemodialysis (HD) patients lower serum triglyceride levels, according to a report in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (2008; published ...

PAD Risk Increases as GFR Declines

GRAPEVINE, Tex.—Patients with the metabolic syndrome and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are at increased risk of having peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a study ...

Renal Artery Stenting Not More Beneficial

CHICAGO—Revascularization provides no advantage over medical treatment for renal function in patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS), data suggest.

RAS Blockade May Not Stop CKD Progression

MORE THAN HALF of African Americans with hypertensive CKD will experience renal disease progression long-term despite tight BP control with drugs that block the renin-angiotensin ...

PSA Is Lower in Diabetics

Serum PSA levels are lower in men with type 2 diabetes than in healthy men, researchers reported in Diabetes Care (2008;31:930-931).

Post-RFA 'Halo Sign' Characterized

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A "halo sign" is a common delayed finding following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of kidney tumors, according to researchers at the University of Toronto.

PCa At End of Biopsy Core A Bad Sign

DENVER—The presence of tumor cells at the end of a needle biopsy core obtained near the capsule is an independent indicator of a significantly elevated ...

Renal Disease Raises Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

ADVANCED KIDNEY dysfunction independently predicts sudden cardiac death among women with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Restenosis Interventions Work Well

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Restenting and angioplasty are both highly effective for treating renal artery in-stent stenosis, according to findings presented here at the Society of Interventional Radiology's ...

Study Challenges Safety of Close Margins

DENVER—Close surgical margins in radical prostatectomy specimens could place patients at increased risk of PSA failure, according to a study that may challenge conventional wisdom.

Success Placing Sheathless Catheters

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Tunneled dialysis catheters may be implanted without a sheath to limit the size of the venotomy and thus the potential for bleeding following catheter ...

Targeted Renal Therapy May Stop CIN

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Targeted renal therapy (TRT) involving intrarenal administration of fenoldopam is safe and feasible in patients undergoing angiographic procedures, even in patients at elevated risk ...