Decline is not inevitable.
A daily, evidence-graded view of everything moving in kidney research : the drugs that slow decline, the science of regeneration, and the mind-body work.
Two new studies begin today for itchy skin and rare kidney-related skin changes
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A new trial starts today testing an anti-itch medicine for people on peritoneal dialysis who struggle with persistent itching.
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Researchers are collecting samples to study a rare condition that hardens small blood vessels in the skin of people with kidney disease.
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Kidney doctors released translated care guides and a summary of their recent meeting to help patients understand treatment options.
No major new results were reported today. Instead, two early-stage studies began—one for itchy skin in peritoneal dialysis patients and another for a rare skin condition linked to kidney disease. A professional kidney society also shared updated care guides and meeting notes in multiple languages to support patient understanding.
Preoperative renin-angiotensin system inhibitor management and acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis
A large review of many studies found that stopping renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (like lisinopril or losartan) before heart surgery raises the risk of sudden kidney injury by about 40% compared to continuing them. This holds true across over 15,000 patients and supports keeping these blood pressure drugs going through surgery to protect the kidneys.
Effects of Renin-Angiotensin Inhibitors, Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors, Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists and Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists on Kidney Outcomes in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
A large review of many studies found SGLT-2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists all lower the risk of kidney failure in people with type 1 diabetes, just like they do for type 2. This gives doctors new options beyond older blood pressure pills.
Temporal Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction After Initiating Hemodialysis.
In 278 people who started dialysis, heart pumping ability (called LVEF) often dropped over time — especially in the first year. This study shows a link between starting dialysis and lower heart function, but it does not prove that dialysis caused the change.
Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in CKD: Contemporary Insights into Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management.
This review explains why people with kidney disease are much more likely to die from heart problems than from kidney failure itself — due to a mix of standard risks like high blood pressure and unique kidney-related changes in minerals and hormones. Because it is a review of past studies, not a trial, it shows links but cannot prove cause and effect.
AI-assisted metabolomic profiling identifies candidate metabolites associated with diabetic kidney disease staging in a Korean cohort
Researchers in Korea used computer analysis to scan blood chemicals and find ones that line up with how far diabetic kidney disease has progressed. Diabetic kidney disease is kidney damage caused by long term high blood sugar, and it is the most common reason people reach kidney failure. The chemicals found here match up with disease stage, which is a link and not proof that they drive the damage. These are candidate markers that still need testing in other groups of patients before anyone's care changes.
Acute kidney injury in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: predictors, risk factors, mortality, and renal recovery from a bi-center cohort in Palestine
Doctors at two hospitals in Palestine reviewed COVID-19 patients to see how many had sudden kidney injury, what made it more likely, how many died, and how many got kidney function back. Sudden kidney injury means the kidneys stop filtering well over hours or days, which is different from the slow decline of chronic kidney disease. Because this looks back at records rather than testing a treatment, it shows which patients were at higher risk, not what caused the injury. No abstract was available, so the patient count and recovery numbers are not in hand.
CHANGES OF CALCIFICATION GRADIENTS DEPENDING ON FETUIN-A LEVEL IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
This study looks at calcium building up in the blood vessels of people with chronic kidney disease, and how that tracks with blood levels of a protein called fetuin-A that normally helps stop calcium from settling in the wrong places. It compares measurements across people, so it can show a link between low fetuin-A and more calcium buildup. A link is not proof that low fetuin-A causes the buildup. The file is posted in an open archive with no sign of peer review, and no abstract was available, so the number of people is unknown.
Implementation of Health Education Regarding Health Status and Nutrition for Adolescents to Increase Knowledge and Awareness of Kidney Failure Prevention
Teenagers were given health and nutrition lessons about how to protect their kidneys, and the program measured whether their knowledge and awareness went up. What it tracked was what the teens knew, not whether their kidneys stayed healthy. So it cannot show that lessons like these lead to fewer cases of kidney failure later. No abstract was available, so how many teens took part and for how long is not known.
A shared immunological context underlying IgA nephropathy
This report looks at the immune system's role in IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease where an antibody called IgA builds up in the kidney filters and causes damage. It appears in a case reports journal, so it describes what doctors saw in one patient or a small number of patients. That can show a link between immune changes and the disease, but it cannot prove one causes the other. No abstract was available, so the number of patients and the details are not known yet.
City design for kidney health
A review article says city planning — like roads, housing, and air quality rules — affects kidney health across whole populations. This is not proof that changing cities fixes kidneys, but it shows a link between urban design and chronic disease risk.
Vascular Access Surgery Timing : Kidney360
A study of older European dialysis patients found that high blood pressure often gets worse over time and is linked to higher risk of heart problems or death. Because it only observed patients and did not test a treatment, it shows a link — not proof that lowering blood pressure would help.
Demographics, longitudinal changes and outcome of high blood pressure in children and adolescents on kidney replacement therapy: 15 years of data from the ESPN/ERA Registry
A 15-year look at 6,071 children and teens on dialysis across Europe found that high blood pressure is very common and tends to get worse over time. Children with higher blood pressure had a greater chance of heart issues or dying earlier. Because this tracked real-world data without testing a treatment, it shows a link — not proof that treating high blood pressure would lower those risks.
Occupational heatstroke-induced acute kidney injury: a narrative review of mechanisms, biomarkers, and the timing of blood purification initiation.
This review explains how heatstroke from hard physical work can injure kidneys through muscle breakdown and protein release, and how blood filtering timing might matter. Because it is a review of past cases and not a controlled study, it shows a link but does not prove cause and effect.
Age and Gender-Related Trajectories of Urine Osmolality in a Large-Scale Population Study: Physiological Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.
In over 128,000 people across Asia, urine concentration ability changes with age and differs by gender — older adults and men tend to have weaker kidney concentrating power. This study shows a link between age, gender, and this urine test result, but it does not prove why or how these changes happen.
Early mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism for end-organ protection in hypertension: Implications for disparities and rethinking the timing paradigm.
A review found that Black patients often suffer more heart and kidney damage from high blood pressure, even when their numbers are in the target range. This suggests that aldosterone, a hormone that can cause scarring in organs, may be to blame — but the study only shows a link, not proof that blocking it will help. Larger trials are needed to test this idea.
Triple Renal Pathology in a Patient With Myeloperoxidase-Associated Vasculitis, Diabetic Nephropathy, and Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy: A Case Report
Doctors describe one patient whose kidneys were being damaged by three diseases at once: blood vessel inflammation, diabetes damage, and IgA nephropathy, where an immune protein clogs the kidney filters. A kidney biopsy found all three together. This is a single case, so it shows what can happen, not how often it happens. The useful point is that more than one cause can be at work in the same kidney.
Serum uric acid as an independent associated factor of early-stage renal impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a comparative cross-sectional study
In people with type 2 diabetes, those with more uric acid in their blood were more likely to show early signs of kidney damage. Uric acid is a waste product the kidneys clear out. Everyone was tested at a single point in time, so this shows a link, not proof that uric acid harms the kidneys.
Distribution of Homocysteine Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Its Association with Urine Albumin Creatinine Ratio: A Cross-sectional Study
In people with type 2 diabetes, researchers measured homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, and compared it with how much protein (albumin) was leaking into the urine. Higher homocysteine went along with more protein in the urine, which is an early sign of kidney damage. Everyone was tested once, so this shows a link, not proof that homocysteine causes the damage.
Associations of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Chronic Kidney Disease.
GDF-15 is a protein in the blood that dampens appetite. Researchers measured it in 2,996 people with kidney disease who were not on dialysis, then scored their appetite with a questionnaire and checked their grip strength and estimated muscle mass. Higher levels of this protein went along with poorer appetite and weaker muscles. This is an observational study, so it shows a link, not proof that the protein causes the appetite loss.
Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease Severity on Outcomes in STEMI-Associated Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Mechanical Circulatory Support.
People with kidney disease do worse after a major heart attack that drops their blood pressure dangerously low, a state called cardiogenic shock. This study looked at patients who needed a pump to help their heart keep blood moving, and asked whether more advanced kidney disease meant worse results in the hospital. It compared records of patients who were already treated, so it shows a link between kidney disease stage and outcomes, not proof of cause. It matters because heart trouble is one of the biggest risks for people with kidney disease.