University of Ulster - Hope for dialysis patients

Taking multivitamins could help improve the health of kidney-disease patients undergoing dialysis, according to new research from the University of Ulster. Kidney disease is relatively common among people with long-term diabetes. But the combination of a restricted diet and constant dialysis means that patients are often malnourished and at a higher risk of stroke or heart attack. The research team, led by Mary Hannon-Fletcher of Ulster's School of Biomedical Studies, found that taking a multivitamin helped protect the heart membrane and also reduced a harmful amino acid implicated in heart disease. The team is now seeking funding to extend its pilot study.