Health Research: Early warning found for chronic kidney disease ♦ Gut microbiota regulates antioxidant metabolism ♦ Racial disparities associated with living kidney donation

Gut microbiota regulates antioxidant metabolism Gut microbiota regulates the glutathione and amino acid metabolism of the host. Glutathione is a key antioxidant, found in every cell in our body. Deficiency of glutathione contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a major role in several lifestyle diseases.

Early warning found for chronic kidney disease A simple blood test for the suPAR protein can predict a person's chances of developing chronic kidney disease five years before symptoms emerge, thus doing for kidney disease what cholesterol has done for cardiovascular disease.

Racial disparities associated with living kidney donation assessed Increasing median income levels of transplant candidates' zip codes were associated with higher rates of living donation, but African American candidates living in the wealthiest neighborhoods had only slightly higher rates than rates seen among the lowest median income areas for Caucasians.African-American donors had higher rates of complications early after donation

Gut microbiota changes in diabetic kidney disease contribute to chronic inflammation and vascular complications Among patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), a shift in gut microbiota diversity in combination with elevated plasma zonulin levels substantially impacts the degree of chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Zonulin could be a potential future target to control inflammatory immune responses.

Health Research: Prolonged TV viewing linked to eight leading causes of death in US ♦ Acid reflex medications may increase kidney disease risk

Prolonged TV viewing linked to eight leading causes of death in US On average, 80 percent of American adults watch 3.5 hours of television per day and multiple observational studies have demonstrated a link between TV viewing and poorer health. Investigators reported an association between increasing hours of television viewing and increasing risk of death.

Surgical patients should stay on cholesterol medications to reduce risk of death Patients who stop taking cholesterol medications before surgery are following outdated recommendations, and significantly increasing their risk of death if they don’t resume taking the medications within two days after surgery.

Restoring testosterone rather than replacing it helps safeguard a man's fertility  Restoring testosterone production in men may be as effective as replacing it, without compromising their fertility. Two phase III clinical trials show that a drug that restores the body's natural production of testosterone has no negative effect on a man's sperm count .

Acid reflux medications may increase kidney disease risk Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, according to two new studies. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications .

Green office environments linked with higher cognitive function scores People who work in well-ventilated offices with below-average levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide have significantly higher cognitive functioning scores -- in crucial areas such as responding to a crisis or developing strategy -- than those who work in offices with typical levels

Health News: Idaho health officials link 8 food borne illnesses to raw milk dairy ♦ Algae virus can jump to mammalian cells ♦ Team-based treatment is better for first episode psychosis

Idaho health officials link 8 foodborne illnesses to raw milk dairy  Idaho health officials are investigating eight illnesses in the southwest part of the state likely associated with drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk from an Idaho dairy. As of Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, four people sickened by Campylobacter and four with E. coli 0157:H7 infections had reported drinking raw milk produced by the Natural Farm Fresh Dairy in Kuna, ID

New study explains why you bulk up with resistance training, not endurance training Resistance and endurance exercises activate the same gene, PGC-1?, but the processes stimulated for the muscles to adapt depend on the exercise type. A new study offers insight into why the physical changes from resistance exercise are so different than from endurance exercise.

People with sedentary lifestyles are at increased risk of developing kidney disease Being sedentary for too long during the day may be a risk factor for chronic kidney disease.

Team-based treatment is better for first episode psychosis Treating people with first episode psychosis with a team-based, coordinated specialty care (CSC) approach produces better clinical and functional outcomes than typical community care, new research shows. Investigators also found that treatment is most effective for people who receive care soon after psychotic symptoms begin.

Algae virus can jump to mammalian cells New research provides first direct evidence that an algae-infecting virus can invade and potentially replicate within some mammalian cells. It follows up a 2014 study that found signs of a chlorovirus in throat swabs of human participants

Health Research: High-pressure oxygen can effectively treat fibromyalgia ♦ Could dissolvable microneedles replace injected vaccines? ♦ Human hands more primitive than chimp's

High-pressure oxygen can effectively treat fibromyalgia Women with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, were able to drastically reduce, or even eliminate, their use of pain medication following hyperbaric oxygen treatment, according to new research.. The researchers also believe they have identified the primary factor causing fibromyalgia: the disruption of the brain mechanism for processing pain

Human hands may be more primitive than chimp's Human hands may be more primitive than chimp's. Human hand proportions have changed little from those of the last common ancestor (LCA) of chimpanzees and humans. These findings indicate that the structure of the modern human hand is largely primitive in nature.

Investigational drug prevents life-threatening side effects of kidney disease treatment The investigational drug patiromer quickly reduced elevated blood-potassium levels -- a common life-threatening side effect of treatment for chronic diabetic kidney disease. In this year-long study of more than 300 patients, patiromer kept potassium levels under control for the length of the trial.

Could dissolvable microneedles replace injected vaccines? Flu vaccines delivered using microneedles that dissolve in the skin can protect people against infection even better than the standard needle-delivered vaccine, according to new research. The authors of the study say their dissolvable patch - the only vaccination system of its kind - could make vaccination easier, safer and less painful.

Like sitting, standing in the workplace may have long-term health consequences Recent research has warned of the health detriments associated with sitting for long stretches of time at the office, but what about the nearly half of all employees worldwide who are required to stand for more than 75 percent of their workdays

Health Research: Light fixture kills bacteria safely ♦ Endogenous proteins as anti-inflammatory agents ♦ New strategies for combating chronic kidney disease,

Light fixture kills bacteria safely, continuously A new light fixture uses Continuous Environmental Disinfection technology to continuously kill harmful bacteria linked to hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The technology behind the Indigo-Clean™ inactivates a wide range of microorganisms that are known causes of HAIs, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C.difficile and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

Endogenous proteins as anti-inflammatory agents In autoimmune diseases and immune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or organ rejection, inflammatory processes take place in the body, triggered by its own immune system. New research is concentrating on a special protein that is thought to play an important role in controlling excessive immune reactions.

Long-acting antipsychotic medication may improve treatment for schizophrenia An injectable drug given every two weeks works better than a daily pill for those who have been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Medically complex patients with Type 2 diabetes could benefit from seeing a specialist soon People recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and who have other serious chronic health issues have less heart disease and lower death rates if they see an endocrinologist within one year of diagnosis.

New strategies for combating chronic kidney disease, other long-term conditions New strategies for using electronic health records (EHRs) to treat patients with chronic kidney disease have been outlined by investigators. Their recommendations may help clinicians and hospitals better manage individual patients with chronic conditions and identify groups of patients most likely to benefit from different treatment strategies.

Cardiovascular Research: Nanoparticle 'wrapper' delivers chemical that stops fatty buildup ♦ Fewer than one in 10 older heart patients get life-saving defibrillators ♦ Uninterrupted vitamin K antagonists recommended during ablation

Nanoparticle 'wrapper' delivers chemical that stops fatty buildup in rodent arteries In what may be a major leap forward in the quest for new treatments of the most common form of cardiovascular disease, scientists report they have found a way to halt and reverse the progression of atherosclerosis in rodents by loading microscopic nanoparticles with a chemical that restores the animals' ability to properly handle cholesterol.

Uninterrupted vitamin K antagonists recommended during ablation, device implantation Experts have recommended uninterrupted anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists during ablation and device implantation. Dramatic changes in the field during the last five years demanded a revision, they say.

Fewer than one in 10 older heart patients get life-saving defibrillators Heart attack patients age 65 and older who have reduced heart function might still benefit from implanted defibrillators, according to a study. But fewer than 1 in 10 eligible patients actually get a defibrillator within a year of their heart attacks,

First ESC recommendations for arrhythmias, chronic kidney disease published Significant interactions occur between the heart and kidney, and even mild kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Sudden cardiac death is the most common cause of death in dialysis patients including children, accounting for 50% of cardiac deaths and 25% of all deaths.

Uninterrupted NOAC therapy during AF ablation appears safe Uninterrupted treatment with novel oral anticoagulants during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is safe, suggests new research. Continuation of NOAC therapy was not associated with periprocedural bleeding or thromboembolic complications.

Health News: FDA- Inadequate testing, cleanliness at Jeni’s ice cream plant ♦ Washington E.Coli outbreak 25 cases ♦ Infections can affect your IQ

FDA Inspectors found inadequate testing, cleanliness at Jeni’s ice cream plant Eight visits by two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in late April revealed inadequate pathogen controls and cleanliness practices at the company’s production facility. The FDA inspections occurred between April 20-30

Washington E.Coli Update: 25 cases, 9 secondary ones, 4 areas sampled matched outbreak strain  Four of 10 areas sampled at the Northwest Fairgrounds in Lynden, WA, match the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has now sickened 25 people in Whatcom County, WA. The Lynden fairgrounds was the site of the Milk Makers Fest attended by more than 1,300 children.

Infections can affect your IQ New research shows that infections can impair your cognitive ability measured on an IQ scale. The study is the largest of its kind to date, and it shows a clear correlation between infection levels and impaired cognition.

Major breakthrough against rare kidney disease A significant breakthrough has been made in the fight against Membranous Nephropathy a rare kidney disease which can lead to kidney failure.

Best and safest blood pressure treatments in kidney, diabetes patients compiled The first definitive summary of the best and safest blood pressure lowering treatments for kidney disease and diabetes patients has been compiled by clinicians. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of kidney disease around the world, and people often have both. Chronic kidney disease caused by diabetes always affects both kidneys and generally gets worse over time, often leading to kidney failure requiring dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant.

2/9/15 Health News: Girl’s death raises questions about food safety ♦ Politics of Measles ♦ MOST DON’T USE FOOD THERMOMETERS ♦ Gut bacteria linked to kidney disease ♦ Prevent heart failure

The politics of Measles

Twenty-five years ago, when a doctor named Robert Ross was the deputy health commissioner of Philadelphia, a measles epidemic swept the country. Until this year’s outbreak, which started at Disneyland and has so far sickened more than a hundred people, the 1989-91 epidemic was the most alarming that the United States had seen since 1963, when the measles vaccine was introduced. Continue reading

Girl’s death raises questions about food safety, govt institutions

"I myself paid the fee of Rs 8,000 for the test at PCSIR but they still cannot tell me when I will get the report." Kanza, a student of class eight, died last week and her mother and two younger siblings fell ill, the family claimed, after consuming burgers at the Dilpasand Sweets’ Continue Reading

MOST CONSUMERS DON’T USE FOOD THERMOMETERS DESPITE IMPORTANCE TO FOOD SAFETY

A couple of weeks ago, I was having dinner with my parents. My dad was making chicken and asked me what temperature he needed to cook it to. After all, working for Food Safety News does qualify me as the food-safety expert of the family. “165 degrees F,” I told him. “What if it’s barely... Continue Reading

Gut bacteria byproduct linked to chronic kidney disease for the first time

For the first time, researchers have linked trimethylamine N-oxide -- a gut metabolite formed during the digestion of egg-, red meat- or dairy-derived nutrients choline and carnitine -- to chronic kidney disease.Continue Reading

.Bioengineered miniature structures could prevent heart failure

The delivery of tiny biodegradable microstructures to heart tissue damaged by heart attack may help repair the tissue and prevent future heart failure Continue Reading

9/13/14 Health News: FIVE KENTUCKY CHILDREN HIT WITH KIDNEY DISEASE ♦ Food Safety Loophole ♦ New method helps track foodborne disease outbreaks

FIVE KENTUCKY CHILDREN HIT WITH KIDNEY DISEASE USUALLY CAUSED BY E. COLI

Five children were reportedly in a Louisville, KY, hospital on Friday being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a potentially fatal kidney disease typically caused by an E. coli infection. Three of the children are from Hardin County, one is from Oldham County, and one is from Boone County. Their ages were not... Continue Reading

Food Safety Loophole Remains Intact Under New FDA Standards

The process for reviewing chemicals added to the nation's food supply is being overhauled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but food safety advocates warn that the changes won't prevent unsafe additives from making their way into your meals.  Hundreds of chemicals that the FDA has little power to regulate, and most consumers have likely never heard of, are secretly … continue reading

New method helps track foodborne disease outbreaks

A new computer-assisted method developed jointly by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the IBM Almaden Research Centre and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyses sales data to help identify contaminated foods involved in disease outbreaks. Continue Reading