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September 2009 Issue of Renal And Urology News

News in Brief

Sepsis a Major Factor in AKI

Greek researchers who studied 170 ICU patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) found that the most common contributing factor to AKI was sepsis, which was ...

CKD, Low Birth Weight Linked

Low birth weight is associated with a 73% increased risk of CKD later in life, according to a systematic review published in the American Journal ...

Alfuzosin Hastens Catheter Removal

Use of alfuzosin 10 mg once daily increases the likelihood of a successful trial without catheter (TWOC) after acute urinary retention (AUR) secondary to benign ...

COPD, CKD Are Linked In Vascular Surgery Patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is moderately associated with CKD in vascular surgery patients, researchers have concluded based on a study of 3,358 vascular surgery ...

Finasteride Use by Men With BPH Cuts PCa Risk

Finasteride treatment reduces the risk of low-grade prostate cancer (PCa) in men taking the drug for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), data show.

Nerve Stimulation An Overactive Bladder Option

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation may be considered an alternative treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), researchers reported in the Journal of Urology (2009;182:1055-1061).

Urologic Cancers Rise in Denmark

The overall incidences of kidney, bladder, pelvis, and ureter cancers in Denmark increased in both sexes from 1944 to 2003, Danish investigators reported in Urology ...

From Cleveland Clinic

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Prostate

Prostate magnetic resonance (MR) provides high-resolution images of the prostate; seminal vesicles; and nearby pelvic organs and structures, including the bladder and rectum.

Redefining Hypertension for Tomorrow: Target Levels

There is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that lowering BP to less than 140/90 mm Hg offers cardiovascular and renal protection.

FDA News

Degarelix Gets a Trade Name: Firmagon

FDA has approved the trade name Firmagon for degarelix for injection, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Drug Cleared for Use in Treating Metastatic RCC

The FDA has approved Avastin (bevacizumab) plus interferon-alfa as a treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Cleared

The FDA has cleared Tyvaso (treprostinil) Inhalation Solution for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Aliskiren-HCTZ Combo Okayed as First-Line Therapy

Tekturna HCT, a single-pill combination of aliskiren—the first and only approved direct renin inhibitor—and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has been approved as initial therapy for patients who ...

Light-Activated Drug for BPH Enters Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Researchers recently treated the first patients who are participating in a phase 2 clinical trial of a novel therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

NJ Hospitals To Test System of Incentives

A dozen hospitals in New Jersey and their affiliated physicians are participating in the Physician Hospital Collaboration Demonstration, a Medicare project to evaluate a program ...

Fentanyl Patch Lot Is Recalled

Watson Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily recalling one lot of 100 mcg/hr Fentanyl Transdermal System patches sold in the United States, according to a company press release.

Legal Issues

Young Mother Dies After Missing Dialysis Treatment

Complications arise when a diabetic patient with end-stage renal disease and respiratory ailments has catheter trouble.

Malpractice News

Inform Patients of Lab Results or Risk Being Sued

Physicians often fail to inform patients of their tests results—or to document that notification—raising the likelihood of a lawsuit, a recent survey suggests.

Malpractice Payouts Continue to Decline

Medical malpractice payouts continued to fall across the country last year and account for a minuscule portion of health-care costs, the watchdog group Public Citizen ...

Surgical Glove Perforation Linked to Risk of Infection

Surgical gloves that develop holes or leaks during a procedure appear to increase the risk of infection at the surgical site in patients who are ...

Renal Nutrition Update

ESRD Patients with HIV Infection

Few studies have looked at this population, but these patients may have very high energy needs.

Your Money

Concentrated Funds Can Be Good Choices

To get solid results, pick one with a strong long-term record and then hold on to it for years.

General News

Shock Waves Relieve Peyronie's Pain

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy prevented increases in plaque size and curvature versus placebo.

CIN May Have a Causal Role in Long-Term Adverse Events

Evidence comes from a study comparing two strategies for preventing contrast-induced nephropathy

Heart Drug May Benefit HD Patients

Oral nicorandil, an anti-angina medication, may decrease the risk of cardiac death and improve survival of hemodialysis (HD) patients after coronary revascularization, according to researchers.

RALP Without Catheters May Be Possible

Percutaneous suprapubic tubes provide adequate drainage with less discomfort than urethral catheters

Combo AIds Hypertensives with LUTS

Amlodipine plus terazosin achieved better BP control that either drug alone, according to researchers.

UACR, eGFR Predict Diabetics' Outcomes

These two values are independently associated with the likelihood of cardiovascular and renal events.

Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetics Frequently Neglected

More than half of the men attending a diabetes clinic were not asked about erectile dysfunction.

Electronic Diaries for Diabetes Monitoring Improve Adherence

NEW ORLEANS—Diabetic patients appear to be proficient at using a mobile, handheld electronic diary that enables effective remote patient monitoring during intensive insulin titration.

Adenovirus/PSA Vaccine Shows Promise

Researchers observe positive T cell responses in men with nonmetastatic recurrence prostate cancer.

'Smart Bomb' Delivers Prostate Cancer Drug

Adding a tyrosine ring to a chemotherapy agent creates a targeted imaging tool with therapeutic effects.

Renal Disease in Diabetics with HIV

HIV infection has an additive effect on microalbuminuria risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PSM Site Predicts PSA Relapse Risk

Positive margins at the prostate base are associated with the worst outcomes.

Pregnancy After Renal Transplantation

There are risks, but 95% of pregnancies continuing beyond the first trimester are successful.

Why Prostate Cancer Sometimes Returns

Low oxygen levels in tumors linked to a greater risk of biochemical recurrence after radiotherapy.

Novel Regimen Shows Promise for CRPC

Adding picoplatin to docetaxel and prednisone may improve outcomes without increasing toxicity.

Less Bed Rest Is Safe After Renal Biopsy

Shorter periods of strict bed rest after a renal biopsy can safely decrease patient discomfort, according to a Japanese study published in Clinical and Experimental ...

An Alternative to Radical Cystectomy

Bladder-sparing protocol involving brachytherapy and EBRT shows promise in bladder cancer patients.

BMI Affects PSA Test Results in Whites

The likelihood of an abnormal finding is 46% lower in obese men than normal-weight men, study shows

Estrogen May Explain the Higher PCa Risk in Blacks

Excessive exposure to the hormone could cause cancer, data show.

NSAIDs Increase GI Bleeding Risk in Hemodialysis Patients

Hemodialysis (HD) patients who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are at increased risk for GI bleeding, a study shows.

New Diabetes Medication May Offer Better Heart Protection

Liraglutide found superior to other agents for treating dyslipidemias.

Testosterone Treatment May Have Non-Sexual Benefits

In elderly hypogonadal men, it can improve components of the metabolic syndrome, a study found

Cover Articles

Oral Supplements Delay ESRD

Sodium bicarbonate slows creatinine clearance declines in CKD patients.

Prostate Cancer Linked to Lifetime Alcohol Use

In a large Canadian study, the association appeared to be limited to regular beer consumption.

ED Risk Higher Among Regular NSAID Users

PARIS—Men who routinely take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a higher rate of erectile dysfunction (ED) than what might be ordinarily expected for their age ...