Computer Kidney Sheds New Light on Appropriate Hydration

• New research combines programing and mathematics to understand the functioning of mammal kidneys.
• The researchers working on this task want to determine how water intake influence’s health of kidneys. More precisely, their research interest is in how specific medication intake and insufficient water consumption influence their functioning.
• The results of this study show us that proper water intake is a preventive measure for maintaining kidney health.

About the Research

Researchers that are working with the computer kidney come from the University of Waterloo. This team is led by Anita Layton the professor of Applied Mathematics, Pharmacy and Biology at Waterloo. Findings from this study are available in the American Journal of Renal Physiology.

Computer Kidney in the Service of Medical Research

The team led by Layton uses a special computer program that simulates the functioning of mammal kidneys. More specifically, this simulation imitates the passage of urine from the kidney to the bladder. Furthermore, through the use of this program they can look at how the water concentration of urine influences kidney health.

The researchers want to see how specific medication influences kidney functioning and health. More specifically, they consider the influence of blood pressure medication on the concentration of water in the urine. That is, they consider the medication for lowering blood pressure as its primary function is to expel water out of the organism. Because of this effect, the patient that takes the medication increases their chance of dehydration. Especially in scenarios when they take other common medicine like aspirin.

After conducting the research, the scientists conclude that the dehydration of urine negatively affects kidney health. This occurs because urine becomes concentrated and as it moves from the kidney to the bladder it damages the tissue. On the other hand, if a patient monitors their water intake and hydrates properly the urine concentration will be smaller. Therefore, the dangerous waste material in it will not have such a negative effect on the surrounding tissue.

Through the use of programming and mathematics, the team from Waterloo university shows how medicine can benefit from innovations. Furthermore, such simulations can teach us about other organs and their reaction to different conditions in the organism. Such advancements will help us because they allow us to simulate what we could only observe in real life.

Similar news about innovation looks at how AI can help create medicine that will slow down the aging process.

Limitation

• The computer kidney needs more testing before we can be certain of its abilities to give us relevant results. Nonetheless, this breakthrough is an innovative next step for medicine and IT.

Sources

http://www.uwaterloo.ca/

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-10/uow-cks100419.php