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Keith Hruska

URL: http://news-info.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/714.html

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Michael Purdy
Senior Medical Sciences Writer
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Professor of nephrology

Expertise: kidney, chronic kidney disease, bone, bone weakening, adynamic bone disorder, secondary hyparathyroidism, bone morphogenetic protein

Bio: Hruska is a leader in studies of the links between the kidney and the skeleton, which can cause devastating side effects for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kidneys and bones produce factors that support each other's development and maintenance, and when CKD damages the kidney and reduces its ability to produce such factors, substantial weakening of the skeleton may result. This process may also be linked to the cardiovascular complications of CKD, which kill most patients who suffer from the condition. Scientists believe the processes that weaken bone likely cause deposits in heart muscle tissues of minerals that would normally be stored in bones. The resulting calcification of heart muscle tissue leads to enlargement of one of the heart's four chambers, increased risk of congestive heart failure, heart attack and several other cardiac problems. Hruska's group is developing two new approaches to control these side effects. The more immediately applicable approach would use already available drugs to block the shifting of minerals from the skeleton to the heart. Scientists also have treatments in development that may prevent bone weakening, which would also ease the cardiovascular side effects.

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Avoiding vascular calcification

Readily available treatment could help prevent heart disease in kidney patients (http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11403.html)

April 17, 2008 -- The estimated 19 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face a high risk of death from cardiovascular disease, usually related to high levels of blood phosphate. Now researchers at the School of Medicine have demonstrated that high blood phosphate directly stimulates calcification of blood vessels and that phosphate-binding drugs can decrease vascular calcification.



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Cutting Phosphate May Protect Kidney Patients From Heart Trouble
The Washington Post and 11 others

April 24, 2008 -- Readily available phosphate-binding drugs could help prevent heart disease in people with chronic kidney disease, a new study in the the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology finds.
WUSTL researchers led by pediatric nephrology specialist Keith Hruska and pediatrics instructor Suresh Mathew comment.



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