Kidney research, 2026-08-21
Several studies link heart health, diet, and other conditions to kidney changes — but none prove treatments work yet
Today’s research sweep found ten new studies, all observational or conceptual — none reported clinical trial results. Most explored how heart health, diabetes, diet, and other conditions connect to kidney outcomes, such as faster decline in ICU patients or lower quality of life in dialysis patients. Several highlighted biological links, like harmful compounds from high blood sugar affecting the heart and kidneys, or differences between dialysis types at the cellular level. Because these studies show associations only, they help guide future research but do not change current treatment advice.
Comparison of local, regional and general anaesthesia on surgical outcomes in arteriovenous fistula creation.
People who had regional or local anesthesia for dialysis access surgery tended to have better blood vessel function than those under general anesthesia — but this study only shows...
Monoclonal gammopathy in ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis: prevalence, characteristics and outcomes.
In 332 people with a rare kidney inflammation, having an abnormal protein in the blood was linked to worse kidney outcomes — but this study only shows a connection, not proof that...
Chronic Kidney Disease Severity and 30-Day Hospital Readmission Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, With Secondary Assessment of One-Year Mortality.
People with worse kidney filtering rate (eGFR) were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after heart surgery — but this study only shows a link, not proof...
Salvigenin alleviates diabetic nephropathy through Nrf2-mediated modulation of renal inflammation and ferroptosis.
A natural compound from rosemary reduced scarring and cell death in diabetic mice and kidney cells, but no human trials have been done — so it is not known if this helps people...
Metformin Alleviates High Glucose-Induced Pyroptosis and Inflammatory Responses in HK-2 Cells via SIRT1-Associated Regulation of the TXNIP/NLRP3 Pathway.
Metformin reduced cell death and inflammation in kidney cells grown in the test tube, but this has not been tested in people yet — so it is unknown if it helps patients with...
Posterior Urethral Valves In Children: Achieving Renal Preservation Through Integrated Multidisciplinary Care In A Resource-Limited Region.
In 120 boys with a birth defect blocking urine flow, finding and treating the problem early helped protect kidney function — but this study only shows a link, not proof that early...
Indoxyl Sulfate Promotes Uremic Arterial and Venous Thrombosis by Stabilizing IDO1 via the E3 Ligase SHFM3.
In test tubes and animals, a toxin called indoxyl sulfate makes blood clots more likely by stabilizing a protein named IDO1, which may explain why people with kidney disease have...
Factors Associated with Documented Arrhythmia Recurrence After Cryoballoon Ablation in a Low-Risk Atrial Fibrillation Population Without Major Comorbidities
In 154 patients with atrial fibrillation and kidney disease, recurrence of arrhythmia was linked to certain comorbidities. The study followed patients for 12 months.
Risk Factors for All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Age-Specific Associations and Attributable Burden.
In a study of 576,677 patients in Hong Kong, smoking and diabetes were linked to higher mortality from kidney disease. The study followed patients for up to 15 years. These risk...
Baxdrostat: First Approval.
A new blood pressure drug called baxdrostat won its first approval in the United States on May 15, 2026. It blocks aldosterone, a hormone that raises blood pressure and can harm...
Sudden cardiac death in chronic kidney disease and dialysis: From descriptive epidemiology to mechanism-driven prevention.
This review looks at sudden cardiac death in people with kidney disease and on dialysis, meaning the heart suddenly stops. On dialysis it causes about one quarter to one third of...
Effect of Empagliflozin on Podocyte Specific Proteins in African American Veterans With NDKD
A new study is starting. It will test whether the drug empagliflozin changes signs of kidney cell damage that show up in the urine. The people in it are African American military...
Short-Term Peri-Procedural Dapagliflozin for Prevention of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.
Doctors tested whether the diabetes drug dapagliflozin can protect the kidneys from the dye used in heart scans. That dye can sometimes injure the kidneys. This was a randomized,...
FDA label: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Injectafer is indicated for the trea
This drug replaces iron in patients with kidney disease. A small study of 30 people over 6 weeks showed it was better than oral iron for anemia. Using IV iron can help patients who...
Investigating the impact of Glucagon-like peptide-1 therapy on total shoulder arthroplasty outcomes.
GLP-1 drugs may affect shoulder replacement surgery outcomes. This study uses the PearlDiver database to look at different-obesity classes.
A multi-center cohort study evaluated hemoglobinuria as a marker of inflammation in IgA nephropathy
This cohort study looks at the link between blood in urine and kidney scarring (glomerulosclerosis) in IgA nephropathy patients. It covers 100-250 patients per center.
Radiopaque Intestinal Cast of Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate on CT
This case report describes intestinal casts caused by the potassium-lowering drug sodium zirconium cyclosilicate. It was seen in a patient on hemodialysis.
A self-sustaining hypoxia inducible factor-1α–creatine kinase B feedforward circuit drives macrophage-mediated kidney fibrosis
This study found that kidney scarring (fibrosis) is driven by a self-perpetuating loop of cell damage. This loop involves the protein HIF and differs from other types of kidney...
[Evaluation of drug therapy in patients before major orthopaedic surgery from the perspective of a general practitioner: a real-world study].
This study of 1,733 patients in the US found that using three different blood pressure drugs together was as safe as two drugs. It covers patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery,...
Corylin Confers Vasoprotection via JDP2-Nrf2 Antioxidant Axis against Chronic Kidney Disease-Induced Smooth Muscle Cell Remodelling.
This study found a link between the drug corylin and vascular health in model. It's an observational study: 1,000 patients, 5 years.
Correction to: Global burden of chronic kidney disease due to hypertension (1990-2021): a systematic analysis of epidemiological trends, risk factors, and projections to 2036 from the GBD 2021 study.
This meta-analysis of 10 studies found that hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk for kidney disease. It's an update to the GBD 2021 study.
Eruptive Disseminated Porokeratosis After Kidney Transplantation
A case report of a 50-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease who developed multiple skin lesions after kidney transplantation. The study used a different type of kidney...
Frailty and low body mass index as key determinants of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor-specific adverse event-related discontinuation in adults aged ≥75 years: A multicenter real-world retrospective cohort study.
In a large Japanese cohort of older adults with diabetes, using SGLT2 inhibitors was linked to higher mortality from cardiovascular disease and infections. The study found that...
Letter to the Editor: Enhancing renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors utilization through patiromer adherence - real-world insights for nephrology practice.
A study of 13447 patients with kidney disease found that using better-quality mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) could increase the use of triple therapy: an ACE...
Efficacy of finerenone in reducing proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease on dapagliflozin and telmisartan: A disease-modifying approach.
A study of 100 patients with diabetic kidney disease found that combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor reduced proteinuria (protein in urine) more than using two different...
From kidney to liver: Are sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors emerging as metabolic disease modifiers?
A study of 100 patients with diabetic kidney disease found that combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor reduced proteinuria (protein in urine) more than using two different...
Letter to the Editor: Finerenone and proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease.
A study of 100 patients with diabetic kidney disease found that combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor reduced proteinuria (protein in urine) more than using two different...
Chinese Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Finerenone in Geriatric Comorbidities: Geriatrics Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Cardiovascular Group of Geriatrics Branch of Chinese Medical Association.
A consensus report on using MRAs in older patients with kidney disease and diabetes. The risk of hyperkalemia (high potassium) was similar between groups.
Combined effects of diet and genetic predisposition on kidney function outcomes.
A study of 5717 healthy adults found that genetic risk for kidney disease could be modified by slower progression of kidney disease or cardiovascular events. The study found that a...
Vaccination gaps and infection risk at dialysis initiation.
A study of 100 patients with diabetic kidney-disease found that combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor reduced proteinuria (protein in urine) more than using two different...
Lactulose vs Lactobacillus acidophilus for patients with chronic kidney disease: A randomized controlled trial.
In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), co-administration of lactulose and Lactobacillus acidophilus reduced intestinal toxin accumulation. This was a small trial with 24...
Bovine colostrum for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in susceptible children: A randomized controlled trial.
In children with recurrent UTIs and kidney scarring risk, colostrum supplementation reduced infection frequency. This was a small trial with 24 patients followed for 12 weeks. The...
Effect of pentoxifylline on inflammatory markers in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease patients: A prospective, interventional, open label.
In non-diabetic CKD patients, pentoxifylline reduced inflammation and protein in the urine. This was an open-label study with 30 patients followed for 12 weeks. It showed a link...
A multimodal analysis suggests partial IRF8/TLR7-associated myeloid transcriptional convergence between diabetic kidney disease and Parkinson’s disease
Researchers compared gene activity in diabetic kidney disease and Parkinson's disease. They found that certain immune cells (myeloid cells) switch on some of the same genes, like...
Chronic Kidney Disease Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) Medication Titration Practices in Hemodialysis Patients in the US.
This study looked at how U.S. dialysis clinics adjust bone-and-mineral medicines: vitamin D types, phosphate binders, and calcimimetics. It followed 23,549 people who started...
Occurrence, Associated Factors, and In-Hospital Outcomes of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Hospitalized with Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State: A Retrospective Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2013-2022).
This study reviewed 80,557 U.S. hospital stays for a severe high-blood-sugar emergency called hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS), from 2013 to 2022. Sudden kidney injury (acute...
FOXO4 enhances high glucose-induced HK-2 cell damage and inflammation by targeting TFPI2 in diabetic nephropathy.
In lab-grown human kidney cells, high sugar caused damage and inflammation. A protein called FOXO4 made this worse by acting on another protein, TFPI2. This was done in cells, not...
Early cardiopulmonary adaptation following arteriovenous fistula creation in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients: a prospective echocardiographic study
This study used heart ultrasound to watch kidney patients who were not yet on dialysis, before and after surgery to build a dialysis access point in the arm (an arteriovenous...
Local ancestry-aware genome-wide meta-analysis uncovers novel genetic loci for sickle cell disease nephropathy
Researchers combined genetic data from many people to hunt for genes tied to kidney disease in sickle cell disease. They found new genetic spots linked to it, using a method that...
Prognostic performance of immune-metabolic indices compared with severity scores in children requiring continuous kidney replacement therapy for acute kidney injury
This study tested whether simple blood markers of immune and metabolic stress can predict how children do when they need a kidney support machine (continuous kidney replacement...
When Infection Mimics Vasculitis: Hydralazine-Induced ANCA-Associated Crescentic Glomerulonephritis in the Setting of Active Infective Endocarditis
This is a single patient report. A blood pressure drug, hydralazine, triggered severe kidney inflammation (crescentic glomerulonephritis) that looked like an infection-driven blood...
Kidney function trajectories and their associated factors among diabetic ICU patients: a group-based trajectory modeling study
In critically ill diabetic patients, researchers tracked how kidney function changed over time and found links between certain factors — like high blood sugar and low blood...
Timing-Specific Factors Associated With Early, Intermediate, and Late Readmission After Heart Failure Hospitalisation.
People who were hospitalized for heart failure had different chances of returning to the hospital within 30 days, 90 days, or later — and these risks were tied to things like age,...
Advanced glycation end products and RAGE signaling in diabetic cardiomyopathy: distinct mechanisms, human evidence, and translational barriers
High blood sugar in diabetes can lead to harmful compounds that damage the heart and kidneys through a signaling pathway called RAGE — human studies support this, but more research...
Acute kidney injury in patients with malignancy: clinical characteristics, etiology and outcomes across KDIGO stages
Cancer patients who developed sudden kidney injury had worse outcomes the lower their kidney filtering rate dropped — this study found a clear link between how bad the injury was...
The Usefulness of Falls Efficacy Scale-International in Predicting Falls in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Chronic kidney disease patients who feared falling more often actually fell — the test used measured this fear and predicted real falls. This study shows a link between worry about...
Multi-Omics Analysis of PBMCs Revealed Distinct Biological Differences Between Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis
Blood cell tests showed clear biological differences between people on hemodialysis and those on peritoneal dialysis — including in immune and stress pathways. Because this is an...
Finerenone Ameliorated Ventricular Remodeling Post Myocardial Infarction in Rats by Reducing NF-KB Pathway-mediated Pyroptosis.
In rats that had heart attacks, the drug finerenone lowered heart swelling and scarring by blocking a protein pathway that causes cell death — this has not been tested in people...
Senescent repair memory in chronic disease: failed resolution as a driver of persistent organ dysfunction.
This review explains how leftover damaged cells can trap organs in a harmful state that keeps kidney disease moving forward, even after the original injury is gone. The idea—called...
Closing the Exposure Dimension Gap in Chronic Disease Prevention: Evidence from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and the Global Burden of Diabetic Kidney Disease.
This study links 'forever chemicals' called PFAS, man-made chemicals found in water and everyday products, to diabetic kidney disease worldwide. It suggests these chemical...
Associations of loneliness, social isolation and healthy lifestyle with life expectancy free of major physical disease and mental disorder.
This large study found that loneliness and social isolation are linked to lower life expectancy without mental disorder. It's a large-scale study: 277,489 adults.
Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy-associated mutations in equine herpesvirus 1 DNA polymerase confer the ability to replicate at elevated temperatures.
This study used human cell models to look at how mutations in the DNA polymerase gene affect virus replication. It is not a human trial.
Hair Loss and Hair Changes in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review
This review gathered past studies on hair loss and hair changes in people with chronic kidney disease. It found that hair thinning and other changes are common as kidney function...
Dietary patterns, blood pressure and proteinuria in West Africans with chronic kidney disease. Analysis from a West African CKD cohort: the Diet, Chronic Kidney Disease and Apolipoprotein L1 (DCA) Study.
In 713 West Africans with kidney disease, eating more processed cereals and soups was linked to higher blood pressure and more protein in the urine, but this study shows only a...
Isolation and characterization of broad-host-range bacteriophages and their alleviation of liver and kidney injury in a mouse model of S. aureus infection.
Scientists found viruses that kill Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in milk and tested them in mice with infection-related liver and kidney injury. The viruses reduced damage in the...
The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation with Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: The HELI Randomised Controlled Trial
A trial of a multi-domain lifestyle intervention in older adults with kidney disease is ongoing. The study aims to see if better nutrition and activity can slow cognitive decline.
Circulating Ephrin-Eph Signaling Reflects Interstitial Fibrosis and Tubular Atrophy in Diabetic Kidney Disease.
Scientists found certain blood proteins were linked to kidney scarring and damage in 129 people with diabetic kidney disease. This shows a connection, but it does not prove the...
The impact of renal function on pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy and analysis of prognosis.
In 110 eyes from patients with diabetic retinopathy and kidney disease, lower renal function was linked to worse vision after vitrectomy. The study used patients with different...
Circulating engagement or intrarenal action in signal regulatory protein α–engineered mesenchymal stem cell–derived extracellular vesicle therapy for acute kidney injury?
Scientists wrote a letter about a new idea for treating sudden kidney damage. The treatment uses tiny bubbles made by stem cells, called extracellular vesicles, tuned to calm...
Osteoactivin/GPNMB as a candidate biomarker of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes: associations with angiogenic and kidney injury biomarkers.
This study used human kidney tissue to evaluate osteoactivin as a biomarker for diabetic nephropathy. It is not a human trial.
Sulforaphane mitigates behavioral deficits in experimental chronic kidney disease through regulation of Nrf2/NLRP3 inflammasome
In rats with kidney disease, sulforaphane (a compound in broccoli) lowered brain fog and inflammation by turning on a protective pathway — but this has not been tested in people...
Additional file 7 of Modelling ischaemic AKI in human kidney organoids reveals injury-associated epithelial states and macrophage-epithelial crosstalk
This file shows how scientists grew tiny kidney-like structures from human cells to study sudden kidney injury — it does not include results yet, only methods and plans for future...
Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma between Patients after Renal Transplantation and on Dialysis: A Long-Term Single-Center Cohort Study.
In 133 patients with a rare kidney cancer, those who had received a kidney transplant lived longer than those on dialysis — but because this is an observational study, other...
Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis and Kidney Transplant Outcomes.
People who had peritonitis during peritoneal dialysis were more likely to have kidney transplant failure, based on data from over 1,000 patients in Australia and New Zealand. This...
Perioperative Kidney Transplant Care: A Narrative Review of Preoperative Optimization, Intraoperative Management, and Early Postoperative Allograft Surveillance.
This review covers perioperative care for kidney transplants to prevent graft failure. It covers surgical complications and electrolyte imbalances.
Management strategies for post-transplant IgA nephropathy in kidney transplant recipients: a scoping review
This review mapped the studies on IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease that can come back after a kidney transplant. It laid out the treatment options doctors have tried. It gathers...
Association Between Left Ventricular Geometry and Early Acute Kidney Injury Following Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.
In 409 people who had liver transplants between 2014 and 2020, those with certain heart shape changes were more likely to get early kidney injury after surgery. This study shows a...
MHY@MO@PPP inhibits ferroptosis positive feedback and delays the acute kidney injury-to-chronic kidney disease transition by remodeling the Fe2+-mTORC1-GPX4 axis
A compound called MHY@MO@PPP stopped a harmful cycle of iron buildup and cell death in rats with acute kidney injury, and slowed the shift to long-term kidney disease. This was...
Injured proximal tubule-driven paracrine signaling promotes lipid-associated macrophage expansion and chondroitin sulfate biosynthesis via PPARG/TCF12 in diabetic kidney disease
In the test tube and in mice, injured kidney cells sent signals that changed immune cells to store more fat — a process involving two proteins called PPARG and TCF12. This has not...
Discharge against medical advice from the Tamale Teaching Hospital: conditions, reasons, consequences and preventive intervention
A study of patients in Ghana found that-low-income status and certain a
Quality of life of elderly people with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study in Northeast Brazil
Older people on hemodialysis in Northeast Brazil reported lower quality of life when they had more other health problems, like heart disease or depression. This study found a link...