Antioxidant Can Protect Kidneys During Heart Test
(NY, Reuters Health, 2/6/03)

Dr. Jay Kay of Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong and colleagues studied 200 patients who had moderate kidney impairment and were scheduled for coronary angiograms, which carry the possible side-effect of toxicity from the dye that is injected into the bloodstream. The researchers gave each subject either the antioxidant acetylcysteine or a placebo before and after the procedure. Compared to the placebo group, the patients receiving the acetylcysteine had a 68% reduced risk of experiencing increased creatinine blood levels of 25% or more (an indicator of impaired kidney function) within 2 days of exposure to the dye.