Kidney Disease

The increasingly common practice of using a synthetic form of the hormone EPO to maintain normal red blood cell levels in chronic kidney disease patients may increase cardiovascular risks, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study of 1,432 patients in the U.S. found that those who had undergone the treatment had a 34% increased risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke and death, according to the study.

An anti-rejection drug widely used in organ transplants could provide the first useful treatment for polycystic kidney disease, a deadly disorder caused by a single defective gene. Studies in mice show that the drug, rapamycin, can reverse the normally unstoppable growth of kidneys associated with the disease. Studies of a small number of humans suggest that it could work in them as well, the team reported Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Two more children have been stricken with life-threatening kidney infections after visiting petting zoos at fairs, bringing the total hospitalized in central Florida to nine, officials said Thursday. There were fears the number of children suffering from the rare disease -- hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS -- would continue to grow. Beyond those hospitalized, two children and an adult showing symptoms of HUS were under observation, said Dr.

Amgen Inc. won regulatory approval Monday of a drug for dialysis patients -- the first new product from the Thousand Oaks biotech in two years. Designed to prevent bone loss in patients with kidney disease, Sensipar represents a milestone for Amgen because it is the company's first oral medication. Amgen until now sold only injectable drugs such as Epo, a successful anemia treatment.

Dunovan Wallace is the 19-year-old coach of the Mission Viejo High boys' basketball team. When several players started playfully tussling during a preseason conditioning drill, the no-nonsense leader snapped everyone back to attention by yelling, "You can't fight! This is too important!" Wallace is also the team's leading scorer and its most popular player. When the Diablos make a basket, he feels as if the ball has left his fingertips.

A major class of blood-pressure medication works as well in black patients as their white counterparts and could spare kidney function in those who take it, doctors reported last week. For years, ACE inhibitors have been studied in large populations, but few blacks were ever included among the thousands of patients in clinical trials.

A popular family of blood pressure drugs can delay and possibly even prevent the progression of kidney disease in diabetics, reducing the need for dialysis and transplants by thousands each year, three research groups report today. The drugs are called angiotensin II receptor blockers, and their kidney-sparing properties seem to be over and above their ability to lower blood pressure.

The event: The 15th annual "Great Chefs of Orange County" benefit for the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. The afternoon soiree at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach offered 600 guests the opportunity to sample the signature dishes of chefs from more than 20 Orange County restaurants. Tempting tidbits: Mouthwatering aromas whetted guests' appetites as they lined up to savor both the flavorful food and the chefs' artful presentations.

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen has launched a Web site--http://www.RenalAdvances.com--that caters to the clinical and informational needs of the health-care community involved with kidney treatment. The site offers access to news and information as well as clinical management tools. The company said the site is poised to become the premier online destination for health-care professionals specializing in kidney disease.