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Practical Kidney Education Built for You

Andrew Kowalski, MD, FASN Why This Study Caught My Attention We spend a great deal of time telling patients that sleep is not just an important part of life, but that it is protective. Short sleep raises blood pressure, worsens insulin resistance, and fuels the cardiometabolic engine that drives kidney disease. So when a new study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society reported that the people with type 2 diabetes were most likely to develop or worsen diabetic kidney disease

Andrew Kowalski, MD, FASN Why This Question Matters The world of medicine and medical care is changing at a rapid pace. Recommendations and "hard rules," when I was in training, are no longer considered "standard of care." This is great in many ways, especially when it comes to offering the patient the best advice, guidance and care that we can offer. The struggle is keeping up with the newest research, findings and suggestions. At one time, "Guidelines" from major societies

There is a particular cruelty in poisons that announce themselves slowly. Like a slow, known attack that you may see coming on, but cannot do anything about… a cancer of sorts. Unlike the dramatic presentation of acute toxicity—the seizure, the organ failure, the unmistakable collapse—chronic low-level contamination operates in a register barely perceptible to the patient and often invisible to the clinician. Heavy metals and microplastics are two of the most consequential ex

A summary and commentary on: Čižman B, Butler EL, Stavas J, et al. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Kidney Autologous Cell Therapy in Diabetic Kidney Disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. Published January 2, 2026. doi:10.2215/CJN.0000000969 So if you have not heard, there has been some excitement in the world of kidney disease lately! An article came out in January 2026 discussing a possible and promising use of stem cell therapy to address diabetic kidney disease. Why Are We Excite

An updated version from the last post Andrew Kowalski, MD, FASN CKD remains one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions in modern medicine, affecting more than one in ten adults worldwide and dramatically increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and premature death . For decades, our therapeutic approach rested on a familiar foundation, The Big 4: Blood pressure control Renin-angiotensin system blockade Glycemic management in those with d