All posts tagged: kidney disease

Dr Amir Khan reveals 5 conditions made worse by the heatwave

Dr Amir Khan reveals 5 conditions made worse by the heatwave

Published by Sam Flores

Dr Amir Khan is one of the UK’s leading medical experts (Image: Daily Mirror) The scorching heatwave continues to blast the UK, with this week seeing the temperatures ever recorded in June. While some love the hot weather, for others it can be very uncomfortable – and for people with a range of health conditions, it can be even more problematic. Dr Amir Khan, a familiar face on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, where he regularly dishes out useful health advice, posted a video on TikTok revealing the five health conditions which could be made worse during the heatwave, and urged anyone living with them to take extra care. “We are in the middle of a heatwave, and hot weather can actually make some medical conditions worse,” he said. “So here are five common ones to watch out for in this hot weather.” Asthma and lung conditions Dr Khan said: “Hot air can irritate the airways and higher levels of pollution and pollen during warm weather can trigger symptoms. “If you have asthma or …

Scientists identify hundreds of ancient genes associated with human diseases

Scientists identify hundreds of ancient genes associated with human diseases

Published by Jenni Sidey

When a child develops kidney failure or a rare bone disorder, the cause can seem painfully immediate. It may be a single broken gene, a sudden diagnosis, or a family searching for answers. However, some of those faults may trace back nearly two billion years, to a one-celled ancestor shared by every plant, animal, and fungus alive today. A University of Texas at Austin-led team has now reconstructed the most detailed map yet of the protein networks inside that ancestor, known as the last eukaryotic common ancestor, or LECA. In doing so, the researchers built a new way to hunt for disease genes in humans. They used some of the oldest molecular machinery in complex life as a guide. Their study, published in Cell Genomics, suggests that the deep history of life is not just a story about origins. It can also help explain why modern bodies fail. Rachael Cox, a former UT doctoral student who led the data analysis in the lab of senior author Edward Marcotte, said the approach proved unexpectedly powerful. “There …

Fast-aging fish reveals how kidneys age and how a common drug protects them

Fast-aging fish reveals how kidneys age and how a common drug protects them

Published by Jenni Sidey

Kidney aging rarely draws attention until something goes wrong. Over time, these organs quietly lose strength, filter less efficiently, and struggle to keep the body balanced. A new study now brings kidney aging into sharp focus by turning to an unlikely helper; a tiny fish that lives its entire life in just a few months. Scientists reveal how the African turquoise killifish mirrors the aging process of human kidneys at remarkable speed. The work also uncovers how a widely prescribed drug can protect aging kidneys by preserving their delicate blood vessels and cellular health. Together, these findings may reshape how kidney aging is studied and treated. Why Kidney Aging Is So Hard To Study Kidneys play a constant, demanding role in daily life. They clean waste from the blood, control fluid levels, and help regulate blood pressure. As you age, these tasks become harder. Tiny blood vessels inside the kidneys slowly disappear, a process known as vascular rarefaction. This loss weakens filtration and raises the risk of chronic kidney disease. Aging-associated changes and nephropathy in …

Single gene reveals why inflammation triggers kidney failure

Single gene reveals why inflammation triggers kidney failure

Published by Jenni Sidey

Chronic kidney disease can quietly reshape a life long before the first lab test comes back abnormal. More than 700 million people worldwide live with damaged kidneys, and for many, the risk begins in their DNA long before any symptoms appear. Tracing Kidney Risk Back to a Single Gene One gene, called APOL1, has drawn special attention. Certain versions of this gene protect people of West African ancestry from deadly infections like African sleeping sickness. The same variants, however, come with a serious tradeoff. Two high-risk forms of APOL1 occur in up to 13 percent of people with West African roots, and about 38 percent carry at least one copy. If you inherit both risky versions, your chance of developing severe kidney disease rises sharply. Doctors call this APOL1-mediated kidney disease, or AMKD. Establishment of AMKD patient and isogenic G0G0 iPSC lines to generate kidney organoids. (CREDIT: Stem Cell Reports) Even with that knowledge, one big question has remained open: how does a small change in APOL1 trigger damage inside the kidney, and why do …