Research Awards Recipients

Lay Abstract

Why do some water pills cause stiffness of blood vessels in kidney disease? Patients with kidney failure develop heart failure and stroke as a result of blood vessel stiffening which is caused by the deposition of calcium in blood vessels. This is referred to as calcification of blood vessels or vascular calcification. Our research group aims to identify why patients with kidney disease develop calcification of blood vessels and propose ways to prevent vascular calcification and improve the quality of life of patients with kidney disease. During our previous studies, we discovered that a medication frequently used to reduce fluid retention (a water pill or a diuretic), seems to enhance vascular calcification. This is very important as the majority of patients with kidney disease take this medication and this important side effect has never been described before. With the previous support of the kidney foundation, we discovered that not all water pills cause vascular calcification, except for one type, named hydrochlorothiazide. In the present proposal, we want to understand how this drug causes vascular calcification. We will use sophisticated animal models and vascular cells to perform detailed experiments to understand the mechanisms involved in such a significant side effect of this highly prescribed medication.