Baxter acquires Gambro renal dialysis products company

Baxter Enhances Renal Therapies Portfolio with Acquisition of Gambro — Acquisition Expands Baxter’s Role as Global Provider of Dialysis Products – Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Gambro AB, a privately held dialysis product company based in Lund, Sweden, for total consideration of 26.5 billion SEK (approximately $4.0 billion USD at current exchange rates).

Grapefruit and medication interactions increasing

Grapefruit?medication interactions increasing — Grapefruit juice can be dangerous for people on certain medications – Grapefruit juice can be dangerous for people on certain medications. The potential of drug interactions with grapefruit juice has been out there a long time, but most people just aren’t aware of it.

Low birth weight may increase heart disease and kidney disease risk

Low birth weight may increase risk for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and diabetes — New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that poor high blood pressure management during pregnancy may have negative long-term health consequences for offspring – Being underweight at birth may have consequences above and beyond the known short-term effects says a research report. The report shows that rats with a low birth weight have an increased long-term risk for developing cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.

Gene therapy may restore sense of smell

Can’t smell anything? This discovery may give you hope – Gene therapy in mice restores sense of smell, may also aid research into other diseases caused by cilia defects, U-M researchers say – Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time — a hopeful sign for people who can’t smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease. The achievement in curing congenital anosmia — the medical term for lifelong inability to detect odors — may also aid research on other conditions that also stem from problems with the cilia.

Stribild once a day combination pill to treat HIV

FDA approves new combination pill for HIV treatment for some patients – Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), a new once-a-day combination pill to treat HIV-1 infection in adults who have never been treated for HIV infection, is approved in US by FDA.

Truvada approved to reduce HIV infection risk in uninfected

FDA approves first drug for reducing the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection — Evidence-based approach enhances existing prevention strategies – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection in uninfected individuals who are at high risk of HIV infection and who may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners.

High blood pressure risk rising in US kids

More hospitalizations, higher charges, for kids with high blood pressure – Hospitalizations for children with high blood pressure and related charges dramatically increased during 10 years ending in 2006, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. This nationally-based study is the first in which researchers examined hypertension hospitalizations in children.

Alcohol abuse increases after bariatric surgery

Adults who had a common bariatric surgery to lose weight had a significantly higher risk of alcohol use disorders (AUD) two years after surgery – Among patients who underwent bariatric surgery, there was a higher prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the second year after surgery, and specifically after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, compared with the years immediately before and following surgery.

One kidney transplanted 2 times in 2 weeks

Kidney transplanted twice in 2 weeks — Transplant recipient donates kidney after disease threatens the organ; re-implantation reverses damage and allows another patient to thrive – For the first time, a kidney that had been donated to a patient in need was removed and implanted into a new patient, the third individual to have the organ, after it failed in the first transplant recipient.

Vitamin D therapy does not improve heart disease risk

Vitamin D Therapy Does Not Improve Certain Cardiac Measures for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease – Patients with chronic kidney disease who received the vitamin D compound paricalcitol for up to 48 weeks did not show improvement on measures of cardiac structure, function, or left ventricular mass, compared to patients who received placebo.

Health Newstrack