Hormones and hemodynamics in pregnancy.

Context: Normal pregnancy is associated with sodium and water retention, which results in plasma volume expansion prior to placental implantation. The explanation offered for these events is that pregnancy 'resets' both volume and osmoreceptors.

Evidence Acquisition: The mechanisms for such an enigmatic 'resetting' in pregnancy have not previously been explained.

The nephrotic syndrome: pathogenesis and treatment of edema formation and secondary complications.

Nephrotic syndrome is an important clinical condition affecting both children and adults. Studies suggest that the pathogenesis of edema in individual patients may occur via widely variable mechanisms, i.e.

Renin-Angiotensin-aldosterone system in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is the most frequent life-threatening hereditary disease. Prognostic factors for progressive renal impairment have been identified such as gender, race, age, proteinuria, hematuria, hypertension. Hypertension is the only risk factor for renal dysfunction in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is presently treatable.

Hyponatremia: an update on current pharmacotherapy.

Introduction: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in clinical practice, and it is associated with adverse outcomes. Severe hyponatremia can result in cerebral edema and hypoxia. Moreover, even mild hyponatremia can lead to gait instability and cognitive dysfunction, especially in the elderly.

Prevalence of cardiovascular events in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background: This study evaluates the prevalence of cardiovascular events in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients.

Methods: We distributed surveys to 1,439 subjects from our ADPKD research database. In total, 426 subjects completed and returned surveys; 7 of these were from children and were excluded from the study.