Arthritis Drug Could Benefit Some Kidney Disease Patients

A drug that is currently prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis also may be beneficial for patients with a common form of kidney disease that is difficult to treat and often leads to kidney failure, according to a small new study. Researchers said they also identified a way to help determine which patients would be most likely to benefit from the drug. The condition, called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), causes scar tissue to form in the kidneys' filtering units. Most people affected by the disease are also obese or have high blood pressure or diabetes. Although steroids and certain drugs that suppress the immune system help some people with FSGS, these treatments have long-term side effects that may outweigh the drug's benefits, the researchers said. "We identified abatacept as the first personalized, targeted treatment for kidney disease and specifically for FSGS, a devastating and largely untreatable disease," study senior author said. A researcher team, led by scientists at Mass General, examined the effects of abatacept on five patients with FSGS. The investigators found that the drug, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat rheumatoid arthritis prevented four of the patients from losing a transplanted kidney to the condition. One of these patients remained in remission for three years following one dose of the drug. Another remained in remission for four years. The other two participants needed a second dose of the drug after a few weeks, after which time one of the patients went into remission for 10 months and the other for 12 months, according to the report. The study also showed that another patient with a treatment-resistant form of the disease who was at high risk for kidney failure went into remission for the first time in more than a year after being treated with the drug. Although the patient still takes a monthly dose of the drug, the researchers said the patient has resumed normal daily activities and no longer needs high-dose steroids and drugs that suppress the immune system, which can increase the risk for kidney failure. The study authors said more research is needed, but their findings suggest that Abatacept shows promise as an effective treatment for certain forms of kidney disease.

Return to top

Smaller Belly, Less Deli May Reduce Kidney Disease Risk, Study Finds

Losing belly fat and limiting processed foods and other sources of dietary phosphorus might help reduce your risk of kidney disease, a new study finds. Phosphorus is added to many processed foods to enhance their flavor and extend their shelf life. High levels of phosphorus are also naturally found in animal, dairy and vegetable proteins, said study leader. The study of nearly 500 overweight or obese adults enrolled in a healthy-lifestyle program found that a shrinking waistline and lower consumption of dietary phosphorus were associated with reduced levels of protein in the urine (albuminuria), which is an early sign of kidney disease. After six months, participants' waistlines shrunk an average of 1.7 inches and they had a 25 percent reduction in urine protein. The researchers also found that a 314-milligram reduction in phosphorus excretion resulted in an 11 percent decrease in urine protein. Other studies have suggested that weight loss may slow kidney disease progression, but this is the first research study to support losing belly fat and limiting phosphorus consumption as a possible way to prevent kidney disease from developing in the first place, chief medical officer at the National Kidney Foundation, said in a foundation news release. "A good rule of thumb is that if the food comes in a package, it's likely to be high in phosphorus," he said. "Approximately 90 percent of phosphorus additives are absorbed by the body." To limit phosphorus consumption, look for the root letters "PHOS" on food labels. But phosphorus isn't always listed on food labels, he added, so one need to know likely sources. They include:
Processed foods such as dark colas, cereals and flavored waters
Dairy products such as cheese, milk, cream, ice cream and yogurt
Animal protein such as deli meats, organ meats, meat tenderizers, oysters and sardines
Dried beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds (including peanut butter and other nut butters), cocoa (including chocolate-based drinks and puddings).

Return to top

Speaking Two Languages May Delay Dementia Symptoms

Speaking two languages may help delay the damage of dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who were bilingual did not show the signs of three types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, for more than four years longer than those who spoke only one language. "Bilingualism can be seen as a successful brain training, contributing to cognitive reserve, which can help delay dementia," said study co-author. People with a greater cognitive reserve experience the onset of dementia later in life than people with less reserve. As a result, the impact of dementia will be less apparent for longer in people with greater reserve capacity, as thinking and memory functions are able to carry on even with the loss of brain cells. He noted that the effect that speaking two languages had in delaying dementia had nothing to do with the level of education of the participants, but may well be another aspect of cognitive reserve. "The fact that bilingual advantage is not caused by any differences in education is confirmed by the fact that it was also found in illiterates, who have never attended any school," he said. For the study, research team evaluated the case records of 648 people from India who had been diagnosed with dementia. Of these patients, 391 spoke two or more languages. Of those studied, there were 240 people with Alzheimer's disease, the rest had other types of dementia including vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and mixed dementia. Of the total studied, 14 percent were illiterate. Those who spoke two languages developed the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia later than people who spoke only one language, the investigators found. This later development of dementia was also found in people who could not read. There was no added benefit in speaking more than two languages, the researchers pointed out. The benefit of being bilingual was independent of other factors, such as education, sex, occupation or whether patients came from urban or rural areas, the study authors noted. While the study found an association between speaking two languages and mental ability, it didn't not prove cause-and-effect.

Return to top

New Ligament Discovered In Human Knee

Orthopedic surgeons say they've confirmed the existence of a new ligament in the human knee. They hope their research will shed light on why people with torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) continue to experience their knee "giving out" despite surgery and rehab to repair the injury. After examining ACL tears, the two Belgian surgeons were able to provide the first full description of a less well-understood ligament in the knee -- the anterolateral ligament (ALL) -- that may also be affected. They say their findings could signal a breakthrough in treatments for ACL injuries, which are all too common among athletes in sports like soccer, basketball, skiing and football. Although a French surgeon suggested back in 1879 that an additional ligament was located on the front of the human knee, two other surgeons from University Hospitals Leuven are the first to actually provide a full anatomical description of the ALL, according to a university news release. After dissecting 41 cadavers, the surgeons found the ALL in all but one of the knees examined. Follow-up research suggests that when the knees of people with ACL tears collapse, it's due to an injury to the ALL. The surgeons added that they are now working on new surgical techniques to repair ALL injuries.

Return to top

Study Finds Links Between Psoriasis, Heart Failure

People with the skin disorder psoriasis might be at higher risk for heart failure and should be screened for heart disease, experts say. Researchers looked at medical data on all adults in Denmark. They found that people with psoriasis are more prone to develop heart failure and that the risk of heart failure rises as psoriasis gets more severe. "Our findings underline the importance of regular evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis," said study lead author. Chronic inflammation -- a component of both heart failure and psoriasis -- may be the link between the two, he added. Psoriasis affects 125 million people worldwide. It is a lifelong disorder that causes red, scaly patches on the skin. "Psoriasis should be considered a systemic inflammatory disease that affects the whole body, rather than an isolated skin lesion," he explained. "Clinicians should consider early screening and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis -- such as obesity, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle -- in order to reduce the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and death." Educating patients with psoriasis about the association between their skin condition and heart disease is key to encouraging them to adopt heart healthy behaviors, he added. Although the research found an association between psoriasis and increased risk for heart failure, it did not necessarily prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Return to top