Urine Problems
Creatinine Increase in Elderly Means Increased Renal Disease, Mortality
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Even small increases in serum creatinine levels during hospitalization raise the risk of end stage renal disease and mortality of elderly patients over the long term, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The 10-year retrospective study, led by UAB nephrologist Britt Newsome, M.D, is the first systematic description of creatinine increase and longer-term end stage renal disease and mortality risk. Previous studies showed a relationship between reductions in kidney function during hospitalization and higher mortality rates.
“Previous studies have shown that a rise in serum creatinine level of 0.3 milligrams per deciliter or more during hospitalization is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, longer stays and higher costs,” Newsome said. “However, little was known about the long-term risks of subsequent end-stage renal disease and mortality in this population. The long-term risks we observed suggest that even the least severe category of kidney injury may indicate a worse prognosis.”
Reason for cystic fibrosis infections uncovered
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People with cystic fibrosis are prone to lung infections, especially with the bug Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and now a German team has discovered why. Their experiments with mice show that the accumulation of a fatty substance called ceramide in the respiratory tract is the reason.
The good news is that one enzyme, dubbed Asm, is in large part responsible for this build-up, so treatment aimed at blocking this enzyme might reduce lung infections in people with CF.
The underlying cause of the disease cystic fibrosis is known to be a gene mutation, but how this promotes lung infections was unclear.
Men Seeking Vasectomy Reversals Can Expect High Rates of Success
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This retrospective study compared postoperative semen analysis parameters and patency rates of vasovasostomy performed in the convoluted versus straight portion of the vas deferens. This study was undertaken to assess whether or not the perceived increased technical difficulty that may be encountered resulted in a change in success rates.
Patient age, partner age, obstructive interval, gross and microscopic appearance of the intraoperative fluid aspirated from the testicular portion of the vas deferens, and postoperative semen analysis results were examined. Patency was defined as any sperm in the postoperative ejaculate and was compared for the 2 groups.
There were no significant differences in the postoperative semen analysis parameters of volume, total count, sperm density, motility or total motile count between the 2 groups. The patency rate was 98.1% and 97.3% for convoluted vasovasostomy and straight vasovasostomy, respectively, and was not statistically different.
Study finds bacteria may reduce risk for kidney stones
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Researchers from Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center have found that the bacteria Oxalobacter formigenes (O. formigenes), a naturally occurring bacterium that has no known side effects, is associated with a 70 percent reduction in the risk of recurrent kidney stones. These findings appear online in the March issue Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Kidney stones are an important health problem in many countries. In the United States, the lifetime risk for developing a stone is five to 15 percent, and a five-year risk for recurrence is 30 to 50 percent. The economic impact of hospital admissions for this condition is $2 billion per year.
According to the researchers, up to 80 percent of kidney stones are predominately composed on calcium oxalate (CaOx) and urinary oxalate is a major risk factor for CaOx stone formation. O. formigenes metabolizes oxalate in the intestinal tract and is present in a large proportion of the normal adult population.
Burst bladder danger for binge-drinking women
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Increased binge drinking among British women is leading to previously unseen cases of burst bladders, a report said on Friday.
The condition is more common among men, but three female cases were reported at the Pinderfields Hospital in the northern English city of Wakefield during the past year.
Pain meds may worsen symptoms of enlarged prostate
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Common painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen may act as a double-edged sword when it comes to men’s prostate function, according to a report in the Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
Recent evidence suggests that drugs such as these, called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), may lower the risk of developing an enlarged prostate and worsen urinary symptoms in men who already have the condition.
Surgeons Remove Patient’s Gall Bladder Through Vagina
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Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center have performed the first clinical trial surgery in the Southwest to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of performing abdominal procedures through the body’s natural openings, virtually eliminating scarring.
The UCSD Medical Center procedure involved removing the gallbladder through the patient’s vagina without traditional incisions through the skin. Only one small incision through the naval was required to help guide the surgeon. This procedure received approval for a limited number of patients by UC San Diego’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) which oversees clinical research.
Uterus lining involved in obese women’s infertility
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The lining of the uterus or “endometrium” appears to play a small but significant role in reducing fertility among women who are overweight, Spanish researchers report.
The findings, they say, show that overweight and obese women undergoing infertility treatment with donor eggs should try to lose weight before becoming pregnant, which will give them the best chance of a good outcome.
Duloxetine calms overactive bladder in women
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The drug duloxetine (sold as Cymbalta) relieves symptoms of overactive bladder in women, according to a study.
Dr. Richard C. Bump from Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, and colleagues evaluated the efficacy and safety of duloxetine versus placebo in 306 women with symptoms of overactive bladder.
Antibiotics for Children With Urinary Tract Infection Not Associated With Reduced Recurrence Risk
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The use of prophylactic antibiotics, which involves daily administration of antibiotics to children after an initial urinary tract infection, is not associated with reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infections, but is associated with an increased risk of resistant infections, according to a study in the July 11 issue of JAMA.
Estimates of cumulative incidence of UTI in children younger than 6 years (3 percent - 7 percent in girls, 1 percent - 2 percent in boys) suggest that 70,000 to 180,000 of the annual U.S. birth cohort will have experienced a UTI by age 6, according to background information in the article.
High cola consumption linked to kidney disease
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People who overindulge in cola may be putting their kidneys at risk, a new study suggests.
Drinking more than two servings of cola a day more than doubled the likelihood of having chronic kidney disease, Dr. Dale P. Sandler and colleagues from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina found. But no increased risk was seen with other carbonated beverages.
Difficult births in obese women due to uterus failure
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Liverpool scientists have uncovered the reason why overweight women have more Caesarean sections; they are at significant risk of their uterus contracting poorly in childbirth
In a study of 4,000 pregnant women, researchers found that almost 1 in 5 overweight women had to undergo an emergency Caesarean Section birth because the muscles in their uterus failed. The research suggests obesity impairs the ability of the uterus to contract sufficiently in order to dilate the cervix and deliver the baby.
The team from the University of Liverpool’s Physiology department found that obese women were 3.5 times more likely to require a Caesarean for slow labour than normal weight women.
Mortality Rate Increases for Kidney Recipients with Anemia
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According to a new study in American Journal of Transplantation, kidney transplant patients suffering from anemia, a treatable blood deficiency, are more likely to die or suffer from organ failure than other transplant recipients.
“During a four year period following kidney transplantation, we found that anemic patients were 70 percent more likely to die following their transplant, and two and a half times more likely to again require dialysis,” says study author Dr. Istvan Mucsi.
Nearly 1 in 10 Americans Has A Relative With Kidney Failure
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Approximately ten percent of U.S. adults have a family history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and these individuals appear to be at increased risk of developing kidney disease themselves, reports a study in the April Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
“A family history of kidney disease is more frequent in African-Americans, who are also at substantially higher risk of ESRD,” comments Dr. William McClellan of Emory University in Atlanta, lead author of the new study. “Our results suggest that efforts to reduce the risk of progressive kidney disease and ESRD targeted at these families might help improve the detection, treatment, and control of early kidney disease.”
Prostate cancer treatment may shorten penis
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Men who receive combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation for local or locally advanced prostate cancer may experience a significant reduction in penile length, according to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Urology.
There has been anecdotal evidence that radiation therapy can reduce penile length but, to the authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first to determine if penile length changes following combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation.
