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Opting For Keratin Hair Treatment? Experts Explain How It May Lead To Kidney Damage

Most women opt for keratin hair treatment for their ability to straighten hair, reduce frizz, and create smoothness. This treatment works by infusing the hair with keratin, a protein naturally found in hair, skin, and nails, that provides structure and strength. However, it's important to reconsider this choice due to potential kidney damage. The recent findings underscore a concerning risk associated with certain hair-straightening products linked to Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). We spoke to our experts who explained the impact of keratin treatment on your kidney health.

"Keratin, a protein present in hair, skin, and nails, acts like building blocks, providing strength to these structures. To have straightened hair, people often use keratin treatments so that they can get a smooth and sleek appearance of the hair", said  Dr Anil Kumar BT, HOD, Sr Consultant Nephrologist and Chief Transplant Physician, Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri, Bengaluru.

Also Read: Forget Keratin, Natural Ways To Fix Damaged And Frizzy Hair

The Link To Kidney Damage

A recent study published by Bnaya in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases documented a series of 26 patients in Israel who experienced AKI after using hair-straightening products. This highlights a potentially overlooked cause of AKI.

According to a 2019 study, AKI is characterised by a sudden decline in kidney function, which may occur with or without a decrease in urine output. The severity of the injury can vary from mild to severe, occasionally necessitating renal replacement therapy.

Symptoms and Complications

"The typical symptoms observed upon presentation included nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, with scalp rash also commonly noted. In individuals who undergo repeated hair straightening treatments, the individuals may experience recurrent episodes of AKI", said Dr Kumar.

Factors Contributing to Risk

Previously, it was believed that topical creams or solutions might not undergo systemic absorption. "However, research has shown that high concentrations of glycolic acid, low product pH, and compromised skin integrity increase the likelihood of glycolic acid absorption. Therefore, caution is warranted when assessing the safety of hair products", highlighted Dr Kumar.

Glycolic Acid and Kidney Health

The use of these hair-straightening products containing glyoxylic acid is associated with a risk for acute kidney failure. This is because the glycolic acid is converted to oxalate, which deposits in the kidneys and causes kidney damage.

Formaldehyde and Kidney Health

"Formaldehyde, a known irritant and potential carcinogen, poses risks to kidney health, particularly when absorbed into the bloodstream in significant quantities. Individuals with pre-existing kidney conditions or sensitivity to chemical exposures may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of formaldehyde on kidney function", highlighted Dr Milly Mathew, Senior Consultant, Nephrology, MGM Healthcare, Chennai.

The American Cancer Society cautions that formaldehyde is classified as a known carcinogen. This designation indicates its potential to either cause cancer or facilitate its development. Additionally, formaldehyde has the potential to induce other adverse health effects.

Also Read: Secret To Smooth And Shiny Hair: Here's How You Can Make Homemade Keratin Treatment

Implications for Kidney Function

The kidneys play a vital role in filtering toxins from the bloodstream, and exposure to harmful substances like formaldehyde can strain these organs. Understanding the potential impact of keratin treatments on kidney health is essential for individuals considering such cosmetic procedures.

Informed Decision-Making

Dr Mathew added, "Discussion of the risks and benefits of cosmetic procedures, including keratin treatments, is crucial for informed decision-making. This consideration extends to other cosmetic practices, such as skin whitening treatments and creams, enabling individuals to align their choices with their overall health goals."

[Disclaimer: This article contains information provided by experts and is for informational purposes only. Hence, we advise you to consult your expert if you are dealing with any health issues to rule out the complications.]

Disclaimer

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Kidney Therapy Startup Atorvia Named Inaugural Recipient Of U Of T Mississauga's Blue Ticket Program

Acute kidney injury can be devastating for patients, resulting in chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, stroke and heart attack.

There's currently no effective treatment for the condition, which the World Health Organization estimates affects some 78 million people each year. The only option is supportive care like dialysis which requires patients to rearrange their lives around lengthy hospital treatment sessions.

Atorvia is looking to change that. A woman-led biotech startup headquartered in the Ottawa area, Atorvia is developing novel treatments that target the molecular causes underlying kidney damage.

The company was recently named the inaugural winner of the Blue Ticket competition at the University of Toronto Mississauga's SpinUp wet lab incubator. Sponsored by pharmaceutical company Merck, the Blue Ticket program aims to empower the next generation of global health innovators.

As prize winner, Atorvia receives a free one-year membership to SpinUp, an up-front cash prize and mentorship from scientific and business leaders at Merck.

"This opportunity is game-changing for us," said Jane Lapon, founder of Atorvia. "It will help us to accelerate faster."

Among Atorvia's key innovations is a treatment that addresses acute kidney injury that occurs as a complication of cardiac surgery. The company is developing medicine that can be administered before a patient undergoes cardiac surgery, in order to help prevent kidney failure.

While preliminary experiments have been carried out, the company needed dedicated space and equipment to conduct further lab work – something that's hard to come by for biotech startups with limited financial resources. "The fact that SpinUp was there with availability, and was subsidized, was fantastic," Lapon said.

"Because we're getting the mentoring with Merck as well, it means that we can develop this medicine and hopefully get it to patients sooner. We've got this expertise to help us along the way."

Lapon said startups often face a "very lonely journey," but that the mentorship and financial resources provided by Merck, as well as SpinUp's vast network, will provide much-needed support. "One of the advantages of SpinUp is that we've got access to University of Toronto researchers and the potential to then partner with some of the researchers, as well as students and co-op students," Lapon said. "With the resources we have, there is a very high probability that we would have this ready to go into trials during our first year at SpinUp."

She said team is currently gearing up to re-run previous experiments and conduct new ones in order to validate the medicine and prepare for filing with health authorities.

Kent Moore, vice-principal, research at U of T Mississauga, said he looks forward to tracking Atorvia's progress. "Strong partners like Merck enable us to enhance the support SpinUp offers to propel promising early-stage startups," said Moore. "We're delighted to be working with Merck to help drive Atorvia's innovative approaches forward through Merck's mentorship support and SpinUp's wet lab capabilities and programming."

Antipsychotic Drugs To Treat Dementia Linked To More Health Dangers Than Previously Thought

In a new study, researchers are expanding the list of potential health dangers to people with dementia who are taking antipsychotic drugs.

The researchers say the highest risk is present soon after people start taking the medications.

They say caregivers should weigh the potential dangers before people with dementia start taking the drugs.

A new study reports that there are more health dangers associated with giving antipsychotic medications to people with dementia than previously believed.

The research, published in The BMJ (British Medical Journal), correlates antipsychotic drug use by people with dementia with elevated risks of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, blood clots, irregular heart rhythm, pneumonia,fracture, and acute kidney injury when compared to people with dementia who are not using antipsychotics.

The study authors said the highest risk of side effects comes soon after people start the medications. They said this fact highlights the need for more caution during the early stages of treatment.

The researchers pointed out that antipsychotics are widely prescribed for psychological andbehavioral symptoms of dementia, including depression, anxiety, irritability, aggression, apathy,delirium, and psychosis.

They said the typical regulatory warnings accompanying antipsychotics cover only increased risk for stroke anddeath. They added that this research highlights the expanded risks of antipsychotics when used for dementia.

The researchers said they found the potential health issues by combing through primary care, hospital, and mortality data in England.

They identified 173,910 people, 63% of whom were women, who were diagnosed with dementia. The average age of individuals in the study was 82.

The subjects were diagnosed between January 1998 and May 2018 and weren't prescribed an antipsychotic the year before their diagnosis.

The researchers matched up 35,339 people prescribed an antipsychotic on or after the day of theirdementia diagnosis with 15 randomly selected people with dementia who didn't take antipsychotics.

Risperidone, quetiapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine were the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs.

Researchers excluded people from the analysis who had a history of each specific outcome underinvestigation before their diagnosis. They said they also accounted for possible factors such as personal patient characteristics, pre-existing medical conditions, lifestyle, and prescribed drugs.

The researchers reported that antipsychotic drug use was associated with increased risks for all outcomes, except ventricular arrhythmia, compared with people with dementia who weren't taking the medications.

For example, during the first three months of treatment, researchers reported that the pneumonia rates among people taking antipsychotics were 4.48%, compared to 1.49% for non-users. After a year of antipsychotic use, that rate rose to 10.41% for users, compared to 5.63% for non-users.

The researchers said the risk of acute kidney injury was highest among people taking antipsychotic drugs (1.7-foldincreased risk). In addition, the risk of stroke and venous thromboembolism (1.6-fold increased risk) were higher when compared against non-users.

For almost all of the outcomes, they said the risks were highest during the first week of antipsychotic treatment, particularly for pneumonia.

Researchers said their study was observational and they couldn't draw firm conclusions about cause and effect. They also said some misclassification of antipsychotic use may have occurred.

Although they said they adjusted for a range of factors, the researchers couldn't rule out other unmeasuredvariables affected their results.

They also said their study was a large analysis based on reliable health data investigating a wide range ofadverse events over several time periods.

Dr. J. Wes Ulm, a bioinformatic scientific resource analyst and biomedical data specialistaffiliated with the National Institutes of Health, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the TurningDiscovery Into Health, told Medical News Today that people with certain underlying conditions may be especially vulnerable to the drugs.

"Antipsychotic drugs have distinct mechanisms of actions that can have effects on the basic physiology of multiple organ systems, both directly and indirectly, through their impact on the nervous system," said Ulm, who was not involved in the research. "This may be a major contributor to the observed findings."

Ulm added that the treatment would have to be individualized to different people, but in general if a person is displaying pronounced psychotic signs and symptoms, the antipsychotic treatment may still be worth the risk "due to the marked decline in function."

"However, it may be worth taking extra caution in such cases to select specific antipsychotics that may be of lower risk for such a side effect profile," he said.

Dr. David Merrill is a geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute's Pacific Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California.

Merrill, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that the purpose of prescribing antipsychotics to people living with dementia is to relieve sometimes severe stress and suffering of both the person and their loved ones.

"It is recommended that non-pharmacological behavioral treatments be used first before resorting to psychotropic medications for behaviors due to dementia," he said. "Medications should be reserved for recurrent severe behaviors that pose a harm to the patient or those around them such as hostile aggression."

Merrill added that there's evidence drugs such as risperidone reduce hostile aggressiveness that can be caused by dementia. That can help prevent the need to place someone in a residential care facility.

"That said, the potential down sides of antipsychotic use in dementia are real," he noted. "This study finds those negative outcomes are more widespread than previously thought. All the more reason to identify and treat any unidentified medical issues that may be driving what appears to be behavioral agitation due to dementia."

Merrill said those factors could include urinary tract infections, pneumonia, or electrolyte abnormalities.

"It may be that some of the cases treated with antipsychotics who then were identified as ill shortly thereafter, may have already had the beginnings of their medical illness," he said. "Optimizing health, assisting with maintenance of good hygiene, and savvy caregiving techniques are all super important to caring for persons living with dementia."

Dr. Jason Krellman, a neuropsychologist and assistant professor of neuropsychology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, told Medical News Today that providers and caregivers must weigh possible sideeffects with severe behavioral and psychological symptoms that can occur in the later stages of dementia, such as agitation, aggression, hallucinations, and delusions.

"This study suggests that there is a much wider range of health risks from taking these drugs than we previously thought," said Krellman, who was not involved in the research. "However, sometimes patients' later stage symptoms are so severe that prescribers and caregivers feel the benefits outweigh the risks. Unfortunately, many caregiversdo not have the stamina or financial resources to deal with the severe, persistent behavioral and psychological symptoms some later stage dementia patients experience."

Krellman added that unless someone has the benefit of 24-hour care, episodes of agitation, pacing, wandering, and similar problems can be difficult to manage to keep the person safe and emotionally content.

"What's worse, providing constant care for an individual with these kinds of symptoms can be very draining for even the most dedicated caregiver," Krellman noted. "The risk/benefit debate is one that each provider and caregiver must have individually. Everyone's situation is different and therefore pros and cons of any treatment can be different from person to person. Providers and caregivers need to consider the patient's age, the severity of their symptoms, and the level of risk to the patient's safety because of their symptoms."

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