Kidneys
Latest articles on Kidneys
The Froedtert & Medical College Transplant Center has some of the best patient outcomes in the country, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Christopher Johnson, MD, is Director of the Center.
Successful transplantation is often enhanced by matching organs between members of the same racial and ethnic group. With more donated organs from minorities, finding a match will be quicker and waiting times could be reduced.
Researchers found that captopril, given after patients receive irradiation to prepare for bone marrow transplants, showed a favorable trend for better kidney function and long-term survival.
"The Medical College has been one of the major centers of kidney stone research for several decades," says Jeffrey A. Wesson, MD, PhD. "Our work is aimed at understanding the processes that lead to stone formation."
While kidney cancer may be rare compared to other cancers, an estimated 51,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the US in 2007 and nearly 13,000 people will die from the disease, which is highly resistant to traditional chemotherapy drugs.
Many people, especially women, have had urinary tract infections (UTIs). What are they, where do they come from, and how do you get rid of them?
Dr. Mary Cohan offers many methods to help patients manage incontinence. "It is not considered a normal part of aging and there are simple ways to treat it," she notes. "Don't wait to seek treatment."
As a specialist who treats people with eating disorders, George R. Jacobson, PhD, has seen his share of patients who deliberately starve themselves. Part of the problem, he says, is that they cannot perceive themselves realistically.
The most common cause of chronically poorly functioning kidneys is disease from high blood pressure or diabetes, but there are other causes, notes Dr. Julie Mitchell.
The medical profession continues to improve the process of kidney transplantation, resulting in a high rate of success and providing hundreds of thousands with new hope, says Mark Adams, MD, MS. Yet there are a limited number of kidneys available.
One common and potentially serious complication for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is kidney involvement. Mary Cronin, MD, explains how years of research have resulted in new treatments that offer hope to lupus patients.
Urine is normally sterile. When bacteria or other microorganisms - usually from the digestive system - cling to the opening of the urethra, they can enter the urinary tract and begin to multiply, and an infection follows.
Kidney stones, one of the most painful of the urologic disorders, are also one of the most common.
Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of interrelated conditions that can severely damage health, is dramatically on the rise. Ahmed H. Kissebah, MD, PhD, one of the world's leading researchers on the topic, discusses its impact.
Dr. Richard Roman, an expert in the field of kidney disease, is the Director of MCW's Kidney Disease Center. "I didn't think that it was possible to reverse kidney disease," he says, "but with newly emerging technologies I strongly believe that there is new hope."
Silver dental fillings do contain very small amounts of inorganic mercury, which is not easily absorbed by the human body. Clinical studies have found these fillings to be safe; removing them actually increases your risk of exposure.
Dr. Kristine Spinelli agrees that whole-body scans can detect abnormalities; but, she says, "it turns out that most of these abnormalities, when looked at closely, do not have an effect on the person's health and well-being."
More than 20 million Americans have moderate kidney disease. Another 20 million are at risk. “If these patients are not diagnosed and treated,” says Dr. Walter Piering, “they will ultimately develop kidney failure.”
The best evidence for preventing and delaying diabetic renal disease in Type 1 diabetics is still with the use of ACE inhibitors.
A urinary tract infection can be caused by irritation of the urethra (the passage where urine comes out) during penetration and intercourse. The result is a bladder infection and significant inflammation of the urethra that is the primary source of pain with sex.
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