Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition where the kidneys do not function properly. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the blood and producing urine.
In CKD, the kidneys gradually lose their ability to do this effectively, leading to a buildup of waste products and other substances in the body.
CKD can be caused by a variety of factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain medications.
Symptoms of CKD can include fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and swelling in the legs and ankles.
When people have CKD, they are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
CVD happens when blood vessels become stiff and less able to work properly because of mineral buildup on their walls.
Scientists think that tiny structures called extracellular vesicles (sEVs) might be part of the reason why CKD leads to CVD.
sEVs are like little packages that cells use to communicate with each other. Scientists believe that sEVs from people with CKD might be sending the wrong messages, causing CVD.
These sEVs can cause muscle cells in blood vessel walls to change from healthy to unhealthy, which leads to CVD.
The scientists looked at the messages that sEVs from people with CKD were sending. They found that the sEVs were sending fewer messages that could help protect against CVD.
This means that sEVs from people with CKD are sending too many messages that can cause CVD.
The scientists also found that the sEVs from people with CKD were sending a lot of a specific signal called VEGFA.
This signal is known to cause CVD. Scientists think that the sEVs from people with CKD are sending too much VEGFA, which could be why CKD causes CVD.
To test their theory, the scientists tried blocking the VEGFA signal in animals with CKD. They found that this reduced the amount of CVD in the animals.
This suggests that blocking the VEGFA signal could be a way to treat CVD in people with CKD.
The scientists also found that the sEVs from people with CKD were sending fewer messages that could help protect against CVD. They found four messages in particular that were being sent less often.
These messages are called microRNAs, and they can help protect against CVD. Scientists think that sEVs from people with CKD are not sending enough of these messages, which could be why CKD causes CVD.
The scientists also found that measuring the levels of these microRNAs in sEVs could be a way to predict if someone with CKD is at risk of developing CVD.
This means that measuring these microRNAs could be a useful way to identify people who need treatment for CVD.
In short, the scientists found that sEVs from people with CKD might be causing CVD by sending too many messages that cause damage to blood vessels, and not enough messages that can protect against CVD.
They also found that sEVs from people with CKD send a lot of a signal called VEGFA, which is known to cause CVD. Blocking this signal could be a way to treat CVD in people with CKD.
Finally, the scientists found that measuring the levels of four specific microRNAs in sEVs could be a way to predict if someone with CKD is at risk of developing CVD.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and results showing eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
The study was conducted by Takaaki Koide et al and published in Circulation Research.
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