New research shows that adults with lupus who take the antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, do not have any differences in their corrected QT (QTc) intervals, an electrocardiogram (EKG) measurement of the heart’s electrical signals, even if they have chronic kidney disease (CKD), a complication of lupus that can be associated with increased levels of the medication. […]
Study finds over 80% of COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency
Over 80 percent of 200 COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Spain have vitamin D deficiency, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Vitamin D is a hormone the kidneys produce that controls blood calcium concentration and impacts the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been […]
Model predicts acute kidney injury requiring dialysis in patients with COVID-19
A new artificial intelligence-based algorithm may help clinicians predict which patients with COVID-19 face a high risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis. The research will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25. Preliminary reports indicate that acute AKI is common in patients with COVID-19. Using data from […]
Gut microbiome may influence how cancer patients respond to oral therapies, study suggests
A new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University illustrates how the gut microbiome interacts with an oral medication in prostate cancer patients, suggesting bacteria in the gut play a role in treatment outcomes. The findings, published in Nature Communications, highlight how the drug abiraterone acetate is metabolized by bacteria in the gut […]
Prostate cancer patients could be spared radiotherapy after surgery
Prostate cancer patients could be spared radiotherapy after surgery as new research suggests there is no benefit and it could be carried out later if the disease comes back Roughly 15,000 men could avoid radiotherapy while undergoing prostate cancer treatment Research in The Lancet found there was no benefit of the treatment ‘Radiotherapy need only […]
Bundled payment model reduces health disparities for Black patients
A new nationwide model of care for hip and knee joint replacements appears to reduce disparities in health outcomes for Black patients, according to new research led by Oregon Health & Science University. Researchers examined health outcomes for about 700,000 patients who underwent joint replacement procedures through Medicare between 2013 and 2017. The study examined […]
Many MS patients struggle with finances, forgo treatments
(HealthDay)—More than three-quarters of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience financial difficulties that often prevent them from getting treatment, new research claims. “Our study results demonstrate the high prevalence of financial toxicity for MS patients and the resulting decisions patients make that impact their health care and lifestyle,” said study author Dr. Gelareh Sadigh, an […]
GPs are ordered to see patients face-to-face
GPs are ordered to see patients face-to-face amid fears vulnerable people are ‘having difficulty accessing doctors’ during the pandemic Letter will warn many patients ‘are experiencing difficulty in accessing their GP’ Instructs GPs to remind all patients that they can come in for appointments Letter to be received today also warns doctors not to send […]
Immune cell responses in COVID-19 patients far from optimal
Melbourne researchers have discovered that killer T cells, key immune cells in fighting viral infections, are present at much lower levels in people with COVID-19, compared to influenza or glandular fever. Publishing their findings today in PNAS, the team from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) looked at 22 COVID-19 samples […]
Medicine trial meets primary endpoint in patients with chronic kidney disease
Dapagliflozin reduces the risk of kidney failure, death from cardiovascular causes or heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause mortality in chronic kidney disease patients with or without type 2 diabetes. That’s the main result of the DAPA-CKD trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2020. The DAPA-CKD trial tested the hypothesis that […]