Many CKD patients suffer from high levels of physical inactivity and malnutrition. CKD patients have an increased risk to develop type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Since recent studies have shown the potential of bone marrow to heal and replace tissue and body organs there is a focus on bone marrow cell treatment in CKD patients. These studies have shown the potential to treat CKD and improve patient prognosis. Bone marrow cells (BMC) that are a type of adult stem cell possess a unique ability (called "transdifferentiation") to give rise to specific cell types through cell-to-cell interaction (such as in embryonic development) and differentiation (an important part of the stem cell process).
Around 5% of Caucasians over 15 have kidney disease and almost half have a chronic kidney disease. Diabetes mellitus appears to be more common amongst people with kidney disease than without. There is a wide spectrum of kidney disease and this is very important because the underlying basis of kidney disease determines the therapeutic requirements of the underlying condition.\n
There is no cure for chronic kidney diseases. Symptoms are managed with a medication and regular follow-up. When a chronic kidney disease worsens, a kidney replacement therapy is needed to replace the function that a kidney fails to provide.
By the end of 2018, at least 21% of men and women older than 65 years had had a kidney disease, and an additional 5 % had an acute kidney injury requiring dialysis or a need for a kidney transplant. Over 50% of men and 55% of women had some type of diabetes.
Kidney diseases can be caused by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including systemic inflammatory diseases, endocrine or autoimmune disorders, infections, metabolic or nutritional abnormalities, or genetic factors. Diagnostic workup is tailored to the suspected cause, rather than to the exact clinical presentation because symptoms often overlap.
Symptoms of kidney disease may include an enlarged, hard, and dull-sounding kidney, loss of appetite and nausea, feeling tired all day, shortness of breath, and joint pain. More advanced kidney failure may involve decreased level of consciousness, increased thirst, and frequent urination. Chronic kidney failure, on the other hand, may be accompanied by muscle weakness or bone pain.
Results from a recent clinical trial underscore the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and the value of curcumin for controlling hypertension and improving the quality of life in patients with kidney diseases.
There is a good correlation between the results of clinical trials and those of animal studies. Furthermore, the curcumin is already being used in combination with many drugs, most notably with gemcitabine, a treatment which is also already approved in many countries. There are, however, concerns about the negative effects of curcumin on the liver, kidney and gastrointestinal tract (especially with high doses). The potential hazards with curcumin should be considered. Further studies should be performed, to ascertain which doses are safe and also which combinations might be most effective.
Findings from a recent study shows a high prevalence of renal impairment among patients with CKD in a cohort of Italian general hospitals. More than two-fifths (68%) of patients fulfilled the entry criteria for a randomized controlled trial to treat CKD. To increase the enrolment rate, patients with mild chronic renal insufficiency at highest risk should be targeted and the necessity and advantages of clinical trials for CKD have to be re-evaluated.
A considerable share of the common CKD-related risk factors are modifiable, and their prevention would reduce the burden caused by CKD globally. However, the primary cause of CKD is still an unsolved question, even despite a number of large-scale epidemiological studies. A clearer understanding of the causes of CKD seems warranted before the appropriate action to reduce the burden of CKD can be assumed.
The anti-inflammatory profile of curcumin, along with its anti-angiogenesis and anti-oxidative properties, make it a potential therapeutic in renal diseases associated with angiogenesis. Further, its ability to promote the antiapoptotic phenotype of podocytes might lessen the progression of DN.
Curcumin exerts a profound anticancer effect on prostate PC-3 and other cancer cell lines of varying histological origin. An increase in the expression of caspase and other apoptosis-related genes could potentially have contributed significantly to the anticancer properties of curcumin. Thus the results are an exciting proof of principle that shows that curcumin acts as a promising anticancer agent.