Renal Business Today News

CMS Yet to Respond to Dialysis Letter Calling for Change

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:46:29 PDT

WASHINGTON—More than a month after sending a letter to government representatives outlining the need for change in the way dialysis is delivered in the United States, a number of prominent nephrologists are still waiting for a response.In April, the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education and the Beth Israel ...(1016 words)

EHRs Help Nephrologists Work with Primary Care Docs

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:15:12 PDT

HONOLULU—Nephrologists can improve the health of high-risk patients by reviewing electronic health records and proactively providing e-consultations and treatment plan recommendations with primary care physicians, according to a Kaiser Permanente paper published online July 8 in the British Medical Journal. The quality improvement project at Kaiser Permanente demonstrated that specialists ...(570 words)

Dialysis Safe for Kidney Patients' Heart Health

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:05:50 PDT

NEW YORK—Dialysis treatments do not affect the heart health of kidney disease patients who have had a heart attack, according to a study published online July 9 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. Since cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in kidney disease patients, ...(389 words)

Clinic Conditions Linked to Primary Care Physician Decline

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:43:47 PDT

MAYWOOD, Ill.—Adverse work conditions may be to blame for the decline in the number of primary care physicians nationwide, according to a study published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.“Unfavorable work conditions are associated with stress, burnout and intent to leave for primary care physicians,” said ...(364 words)

Physicians Should Understand Patient's Values, Preferences

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:43:22 PDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The cornerstone of a good doctor-patient relationship begins with the doctor’s ability to clarify a patient’s preferences and values, especially during a difficult diagnosis, a commentary by Ronald M. Epstein, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association ...(304 words)

Amgen, Immunex to Pay $7.2 Million Settlement

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:42:45 PDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—CNN is reporting that pharmaceutical manufacturers Amgen and Immunex Corp. have agreed to pay Illinois $7.2 million to settle the state’s allegations they inflated the wholesale price index used for setting Medicaid reimbursements.Amgen Spokeswoman Mary Klem said the company and state agreed to settle because it was in the ...(84 words)

Link Between Obesity, Diabetes Discovered

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:42:24 PDT

VICTORIA, Australia—Researchers at Monash University have discovered a critical link between obesity and the onset of type 2 diabetes, which may lead to the design of a drug to prevent the disease.The study, published July 8 in the journal Cell Metabolism, revealed that fat cells release a novel protein called ...(123 words)

Dietary Oils Benefit Diabetes Patients

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:59:39 PDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Two dietary oil supplements—safflower oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—can lower body fat in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from the Ohio State University.In the study, 16 weeks of supplementation with safflower oil reduced fat in the trunk area by two to ...(154 words)

Fresenius Partners with Delaware Nursing School

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:54:45 PDT

WILMINGTON, Del.—Fresenius Medical Care North America announced July 7 that it has partnered with the Delaware Technical Community College Terry Campus to give nursing students an opportunity to get on-the-job training and experience at dialysis facilities throughout the state.Students participating in the program will perform a two-day rotation in ...(242 words)

Asian Herbs May Fight Diabetes, Obesity

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:10 PDT

AMHERST, Mass.—Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst nutrition department and Oriental medicine center in Korea are exploring Asian medicinal herbs as a tool for managing the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and obesity.Researchers will study molecular-level biological function of certain medicinal herbs such as the vetch, Astragalus, also ...(161 words)