Nephrology is the medical specialty devoted to diseases of the kidneys. In addition to filtering blood and removing waste products created by muscular activity, the kidneys also keep levels of potassium, phosphorus, calcium and other substances...
The kidneys help regulate blood volume, remove wastes and help control acid/base balance in the body. Nephrology refers to the study of medicine involved with kidney function and diseases. Diabetic nephrology involves impaired kidney function with...
Nephrology is the science of how the kidneys work and what functions they perform. The kidneys manage the balance of electrolytes in your body, such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Kidneys also filter out waste products and extra water,...
In the body, the mineral potassium is usually confined to your cells, with relatively small quantities in the blood. When blood potassium concentrations get too high, called hyperkalemia, your heart rate slows. If concentrations are low, called...
Ever since James V. Donadio's 1999 paper in the "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" showed that certain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil retard the progression of IgA nephropathy, kidney patients have been excited about the...
Cyclosporine is a difficult drug to manage. Not only is getting a consistent serum concentration difficult, it also can cause some of the very conditions that it is calculated to cure. This paradoxical effect happens with several kidney...
According to Medline Plus, the kidneys, or renal system, help control water levels and eliminate wastes through urine. They also help regulate blood pressure, red blood cell production and the levels of calcium and minerals. The United States...
Protein is part of a healthy diet and helps build muscle, but when your urine contains large amounts of protein---a condition called proteinuria---you have developed a serious condition. Treatments are available for proteinuria, and magnesium may...
Whether you are looking to lose weight or increase your bulk, you may find yourself looking at high-protein diets as a means to achieve your goals. Regardless of your expected results, you should be aware that there may be some serious health...
When the kidneys are impaired or have failed, kidney dialysis artificially removes waste and fluids from the body. Some may need dialysis up to three times weekly, depending on the stage of their renal disease. Food provides nutrition and energy...
Melamine is a compound used in the synthesis of plastics and fertilizers. It is also a derivative of some chemotherapeutic drugs. In 2008, melamine became news with the occurrence of an outbreak of urinary stones in infants and children who...
A healthy and balanced diet should contain certain amounts of different minerals, including potassium, for your body to function properly. Potassium affects many different tissues in your body, and not getting enough can cause your blood pressure...
People with renal insufficiency are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. A March 2010 article by Ishar Bhan appearing in the "Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" found that 79 percent of the 1,908 patients studied were...
Polycystic liver disease is a rare hereditary disease. Many people with this disorder have hereditary polycystic kidney disease as well. In this liver disease, people have many liver cysts and yet often have no symptoms. For those who do have...
Dialysis typically refers to a treatment that people with kidney failure must undergo to filter the waste and impurities from their blood when their kidneys are no longer able to do that task. There are various types of dialysis, including...
The body mass index is a mathematical calculation developed in the 1800s by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian scientist and mathematician. According to a September 2007 article in the journal "Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation," the current term BMI...
The American College of Rheumatology defines metabolic myopathies as congenital diseases that primarily limit the capacity of muscles to acquire or use energy. However, metabolic myopathies can be acquired, and a potassium deficiency is a typical...
The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products, salts and other chemicals and excreting then from the body as part of urine. Normally, only small amounts of protein are found in the urine because the kidneys are able to keep proteins...
Your kidneys play many important roles in the body including regulating fluid balance and filtering wastes from the blood. When kidney function declines, most commonly due to poorly controlled diabetes, it cannot perform these functions as...
Polycystic kidney disease is a chronic kidney disease, that remains incurable as of 2011. Patients often experience renal failure and receive renal replacement therapy, typically dialysis or a transplant. Many nephrologists add fish oil to their...
When your body metabolizes fructose, it does so in a way different from how it breaks down other sugars. The result is an increase in the chemical uric acid, which could have serious health consequences at high levels that could include obesity,...
While seeing blood in your urine can prove unsettling, it does not always indicate a serious problem. Strenuous exercise can trigger hematuria, the medical term for this condition. Most common in runners, it can affect participants of other...
Caffeine is naturally found in coffee and tea as well as chocolate. And it's added to sodas, energy drinks, pain relievers and other products, too. Though caffeine is generally harmless, it can negatively affect some people in the form of side...
People with kidney failure or chronic kidney disease need to make sure to eat the right type of diet so that they can prevent infections, have a good energy level and maintain a normal body weight, notes the National Kidney Foundation. A renal...
Odorous urine can indicate numerous medical issues or be completely benign, according to The Washington Manual Nephrology Subspecialty Consult by David Windus and Katherine E. Henderson. Urinary tract infections, diabetic ketoacidosis, cystine...
Ever since James Donadio, MD, published his 1999 paper about the benefits of fish oil for patients with IgA nephropathy, patients with all types of chronic kidney disease have sought more information. Donadio's paper suggested that fish oil...
James Donadio's August 1999 paper in the "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" showed that fish oil retards the decline of the health of kidneys in patients with IgA nephropathy. These seminal findings were the first long-term study on...
Kidneys function to keep your blood healthy. Each day your kidneys process approximately 200 quarts of blood to remove waste products and excess water. If you have renal failure, you may need to follow a special diet, since a normal diet may...
The kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and removing waste from the body through the urine. Acute renal failure occurs when one or both kidneys suddenly stop functioning, leading to a buildup of fluid, toxins and abnormal levels of...
