Suffering from hypertension? Get screened for kidney diseases

Delhi government has asked public to get themselves screened for diabetes and hypertension in order to control the epidemic of kidney diseases in the city.

A community kidney health screening was initiated today by the department of nephrology at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences as part of the initiative for timely
interventions to prevent kidney diseases here.

Over 200 people were screened here for diabetes and hypertension. Along with this, public lectures about kidney disease prevention and organ donation were delivered by
eminent nephrologists and renal transplant surgeons.

"We are committed to spread awareness about the impact of chronic non-infective diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, the two leading causes of chronic kidney diseases in India now. So those who have high blood pressure, suffer from diabetes, are overweight and smoke and have a family history of kidney diseases should get themselves screened for chronic kidney diseases," said Dr Suman Lata, assistant professor of nephrology at ILBS.

She said, "Today we screened over 200 people free of cost but next time, they have to pay a minimal amount and get themselves screened for kidney problem."

To spread awareness about it, 25,000 flyers were distributed to the local community, urging anyone who has risk of developing kidney disease to get screened. Additional
publicity was carried out by word of mouth and banners.

Pomegranate juice good for kidney disease patients

Pomegranate juice, which is rich in antioxidants, offers a wide variety of health benefits to kidney disease patients including managing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol, a new study has claimed.

Lilach Shema and her colleagues from the Western Galilee Medical Center in Israel investigated the long-term effects of drinking pomegranate juice on heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol and blood pressure in kidney disease patients.

They randomised 101 dialysis patients to receive about three-and-a-half ounces of pomegranate juice or placebo, three times a week.

After one year, the number of blood pressure drugs patients took decreased in 22 percent of patients drinking pomegranate juice compared to 7.7 percent in the placebo group, while an increase was documented in 12.2 percent of patients drinking pomegranate juice compared to 34.6 percent in the placebo group.

They also found that patients who drank pomegranate juice had healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels and less plaque build-up in their arteries.

Intensive diabetes care cuts kidney failure risk

A new study has found that using intensive therapy to control blood glucose early in the course of type 1 diabetes halves the risk of developing kidney disease later in life.

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) Research Group said that compared to conventional therapy, near-normal control of blood glucose beginning soon after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and continuing an average six and a half years reduced by half the long-term risk of developing kidney disease,
The risk of kidney failure was also halved, but the difference was not statistically significant, perhaps due to the relatively small total number of patients who reached that stage of the disease.

Participants entered the DCCT on average six years after onset of diabetes when complications of diabetes were absent or very mild. Half aimed for near-normal glucose control (intensive therapy) and the others received what was then standard glucose control.

After an average 22-year follow-up, 24 in the intensive group developed significantly reduced kidney function and 8 progressed to kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation. On conventional therapy, 46 developed kidney disease, with kidney failure in 16.

“Achieving near-normal glucose levels in type 1 diabetes can be challenging. But our study provides strong evidence that reinforces the benefits of reaching the goal as early as possible to slow or prevent kidney disease and other complications,” said first author Ian H. de Boer, M.D., a kidney specialist at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The finding was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine Nov. 12 to coincide with presentation at a scientific meeting.

Pine bark extract improves kidney function

A new study has revealed that Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, improves kidney function in patients with metabolic syndrome.

In patients with metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure and blood glucose gradually impair kidney function, which in turn affects the organ`s ability to filter waste from the body.

"The results of this study demonstrate Pycnogenol`s ability not only to control hypertension, but also to restore kidney function in those impacted by metabolic syndrome. Surprisingly, people taking Pycnogenol not only demonstrated lower blood glucose levels, but also significant weight loss during the six months, yielding optimistic results for managing this condition," said Dr. Peter Rohdewald, a lead researcher of the study.


The controlled study carried out at the Nephrology Unit at the L`Aquila Hospital in Italy investigated 58 hypertensive patients who presented all of the criteria for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, as defined by the World Health Organization: hypertension, high blood lipids, high fasting blood glucose and obesity. Furthermore, all patients showed early signs of kidney problems as judged by elevated amounts of proteins (albumin) present in their urine.


Patients were divided into two groups and instructed to follow a healthier lifestyle with dietary improvements, moderate exercise and effective management of health risk factors. Both groups were treated with anti-hypertensive medication Ramipril, taking a standard dosage of 5 mg twice a day, with one group of 31 patients taking Pycnogenol in addition to the medication.

In the group taking Pycnogenol, 50 mg Pycnogenol tablets were taken three times a day, a total dosage of 150 mg of Pycnogenol per day. Urine was collected during a 24-hour period for quantification of the protein albumin in the urine at baseline and again after six months of treatment. Fasting blood was drawn for standard blood analysis. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were monitored in the morning.


"The number of people affected by metabolic syndrome is ever increasing and kidney disease is a growing concern. Pycnogenol cannot compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle, but certainly offers some urgently needed help. Our study suggests that essentially all major characteristics of metabolic syndrome are improved with Pycnogenol as part of a healthier lifestyle," said Rohdewald.

A study has been published in the issue of Panminerva Medica .

Baking soda can Save kidney!

A daily dose baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, used in baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn and more slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), a new study has found.

"This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," comments Magdi Yaqoob, of the Royal London Hospital (RLH), who led the study.

Researchers studied 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate levels, also called metabolic acidosis. One group received a small daily dose of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care.

For this group, the rate of decline in kidney function was greatly reduced -- about two-thirds slower than in patients. "In fact, in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar to the normal age-related decline," says Yaqoob.

Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of patients taking sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis.

Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several measures of nutrition. Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any problems with increased blood pressure.

Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a wide range of other problems. "This is the first randomised controlled study of its kind," says Yaqoob.

"A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective," he adds, according to an RLH release.