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Weight loss can prevent kidney disease progression in obese patients

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 18 (ANI): Shedding extra pounds can preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease, according to a new study led by Indian origin scientist from Cleveland Clinic.

Weight loss can improve a number of health problems, like it can improve control of diabetes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce the effects of heart disease.

During the study, Dr Sankar Navaneethan, and his colleagues analysed the studies that examined the effects of weight loss interventions in obese kidney disease patients.

It showed that weight loss attained through diet and exercise reduces proteinuria (excess excretion of protein in the urine-a hallmark of kidney damage) and may prevent additional decline in kidney function in obese patients with kidney disease.

Studies also showed that surgical interventions normalize the filtration rate of the kidneys in obese patients with high filtration rates (a risk factor for the development of kidney disease).

While the findings imply that weight reduction may prevent the progression of kidney disease in obese kidney disease patients, the authors noted that there were only a small number of studies available for analysis and additional high-quality long-term studies on this topic are needed.

The study appears in Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. (ANI)

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Large variations exist in peoples’ ability to eliminate arsenic from body

August 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 27 (ANI): A new study has shown that large variations exist in peoples’ ability to eliminate potentially toxic substance arsenic from the body.

In the study, Kevin Francesconi and colleagues found that some people eliminate more than 90 percent of the arsenic consumed in the diet while others store arsenic in their bodies, where it can have harmful effects.

Health effects from chronic arsenic exposure include skin and internal cancers, cardiovascular disease, and possibly diabetes.

Researchers say that drinking water in many parts of the world, including some regions of the United States, contain amounts of arsenic that exceed the World Health Organization’s maximum acceptable levels.

The study also found that consumption of seafood is another major source of arsenic contamination.

The scientists describe monitoring arsenic excretion in the urine of human volunteers.

They found that ability to eliminate arsenic from the body varied greatly, with some participants excreting up to 95 percent of the ingested arsenic but others eliminating as little as four percent.

“This observed individual variability in handling [arsenic] exposure has considerable implications for the risk assessment of arsenic ingestion,” the study states.

It adds that further study is needed to assess potential risks to humans consuming seafood products.

“The data presented here suggest that the long held view that seafood arsenic is harmless because it is present mainly as organoarsenic compounds needs to be reassessed,” the study states.

The research is scheduled for the Sept. 21 issue of ACS’s Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal. (ANI)

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2 genetic variants linked to increased hypertension risk identified

February 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Feb 16 (ANI): Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified two common genetic variants associated with increased risk of hypertension – a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

The variants are located on two genes called NPPA and NPPB, which control proteins that relax blood vessels and help the excretion of dietary sodium.

Both genes are involved in the production of atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP).

“It’s well known that hypertension can run in families, and a few rare genetic syndromes that raise blood pressure have been identified,” Nature magazine quoted Dr Christopher Newton-Cheh, MPH of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Centre for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Centre, first author, as saying.

“But the common genetic basis for the type of hypertension that affects a billion individuals around the world has been very difficult to establish,” he added.

During the study, the researchers examined the genetic data from almost 30,000 individuals.

They first screened 1,700 participants in the Framingham Heart Study for 13 common variations – called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) – in the NPPA and NPPB genes, looking for any correlation with levels of ANP and BNP.

The variants associated with changes in natriuretic peptide levels were then tested in the same individuals for any association with blood pressure levels.

One variant, present in almost 90 percent of the population, was found to be associated with a 20 percent reduction of ANP levels and an 18 percent greater incidence of hypertension.

The other variant had a similar, although less pronounced, effect on ANP levels and blood pressure.

“Natriuretic peptides are known to be produced by the heart when it is stressed, and screening for peptide levels is widely used to diagnose heart failure, a condition in which they are sharply elevated,” said senior author Thomas Wang, MD, of the MGH Cardiology Division.

“It’s currently premature to advocate screening natriuretic peptide levels or gene variants to diagnose hypertension risk, but someday it may be possible to treat natriuretic-peptide-deficient individuals with therapies that restore normal levels and reduce risk,” he added.

The findings have been reported in the journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)

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Weight loss can prevent kidney disease progression in obese patients

Large variations exist in peoples’ ability to eliminate arsenic from body

2 genetic variants linked to increased hypertension risk identified

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