News on the diagnosis of renal dysfunction

More and more people suffer from high blood pressure and have diabetes problems, the blame could be attributed to the incorrect lifestyle of Western society. Over time, the same habits lead to a drastic drop in kidney function, in some cases we get to talk about chronic kidney disease, CKD (chronic renal disease) to put it in English. A part of the kidney tissue loses its functions and to compensate for the lack the remaining part of the kidney tends to increase its performance. Diagnosing CDK is relatively simple, a series of analyzes are performed which ascertain renal function, the structure of the kidney is imaged using ultrasound, structural anomalies are sought and the position of the kidney itself is studied, however, beyond the due to its invasiveness, the biopsy is the only type of investigation that leads to a certain diagnosis. According to a group of American researchers it is difficult to understand which part of the kidney is subject to dysfunction, more sophisticated and precise equipment would be needed which would allow the dysfunction to be effectively located. The same researchers have relied on nanotechnology with the intention of finding an alternative solution to the biopsy. Once again experiments were performed on laboratory mice affected by CKD, the outcome of the experiment was presented on April 29, 2009 in ACS Nano. Dr. Haick's team analyzed fluids from the trachea of mice, and it quickly became clear that the sick mice had organic substances that weren't present in healthy mice. The substances and the mice's breath were monitored and filtered through carbon microtubules. A new way of diagnosing CKD through the breath has come about. [via Nano Workshop ]