Body

For hemodialysis patients, undergoing dialysis for eight hours overnight, three times weekly, reduces the risk of death by nearly 80 percent, compared to conventional, four-hour dialysis, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Using stents to open up kidney arteries is commonly done in patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease, but the procedure provides no benefit, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Kidney stones may damage the kidneys and lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In extreme cases, individuals with CKD caused by kidney stones may even need dialysis or kidney transplants.

Depression is common among individuals on dialysis for kidney disease, but behavioral therapy can significantly improve their quality of life, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When a woman contemplates donating a kidney, she need not worry about any potential health risks it might pose to a future pregnancy, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The research revealed that a woman who has donated a kidney does not face any additional risks of developing conditions such as hypertension or diabetes during a future pregnancy compared with women in the general population.

DURHAM, N.C. -- The cost of treating colorectal cancer varies widely, with newer, life-extending therapies sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars more than older agents, according to a study led by a team of researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Saskatoon (November 3, 2008) – We all know physical activity is good for you. But why exactly is it good for you? What effect does exercise have on the cells and tissues of the body? What do we need to know so that we can use physical activity more effectively to combat chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease? And what social and psychological factors prevent people from exercising or playing sports?

A newly developed equation produces more accurate estimates of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)—a key indicator of kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

These days most children born with congenital heart disease live well into adulthood, thanks to innovative surgical, interventional and medical treatments. That means that not only are cardiologists caring for a growing number of adults with repaired heart defects, but the resulting cardiac anatomy and physiology are often much more complex than in the past.

Radiological health expert Daniel Hayes, Ph.D., of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene suggests that a form of vitamin D could be one of our body's main protections against damage from low levels of radiation. Writing in the International Journal of Low Radiation, Hayes explains that calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, may protect us from background radiation and could be used as a safe protective agent before or after a low-level nuclear incident.

Kingston, ON – Although infection control has been substantially ramped up in Canadian hospitals since the SARS crisis of 2003, the number of resistant bacterial infections post-SARS have multiplied even faster, a new Queen's University study shows.

Led by Queen's epidemiologist Dr. Dick Zoutman, the national survey is a six-year follow-up to a study that was undertaken in 1999, prior to the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

A unique approach to bone marrow transplantation pioneered in part by a Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC physician has proven to be the only safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, according to a new study.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Even though investors use street earnings as a key valuation measure, little is known about analysts' rationale when determining street earnings. Street earnings are an adapted version of earnings based on modifications that are decided on a firm-by-firm basis and reflect analysts' decisions to include or exclude certain expenses. In a new study, a University of Missouri researcher found that analysts' self-interests often influence the value of street earnings, which makes street earnings less useful for predicting future earnings of high-growth stocks.

Long believed to be a disease of biblical times, leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, continues to be seen in the United States. "Approximately 150 cases are diagnosed each year with 3,000 people in the U.S. currently being treated for leprosy, says James Krahenbuhl, Ph.D., director of the Health Resources Service Administration's National Hansen's Disease Program (NHDP) in Baton Rouge, LA.

The answer to successful revegetation of native flora is in sourcing genetically diverse seed not necessarily relying on remnant local native vegetation to provide seed.

"A common belief is that local native plants are the best source of seed for revegetation projects," says Dr Linda Broadhurst from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency.

"It has been presumed that local seed is adapted to local conditions and therefore it would provide the best results for restoration projects."