(December 17, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

From Massachusetts - Suffering an acute kidney injury (AKI) in-hospital increases a patient's risk of mortality once released, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Researchers studied over 83,000 patients who suffered sudden loss of their kidney function in-hospital, but did not undergo dialysis and survived a minimum of three months after their release from the hospital. Results showed that 30% of patients who suffered AKI died after two years, compared with only 16% of patients who did not suffer this injury.

From California - According to a repot published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, watching less television burns calories in overweight adults. Researchers studied 36 overweight adults, having one group of participants cut their TV time in half while the other watched their normal amount. Results showed that the group of patients who watched less TV burned an extra 120 calories per day.

And finally, back to Massachusetts - Researchers have identified naturally occurring proteins that help prevent viral infections, according to a report published in the journal Cell. Researchers found antiviral proteins in human and mouse cells, discovering that the proteins were able to either prevent or at least slow viruses--such as the seasonal flu, H1N1 influenza, West Nile virus, and the dengue virus--as soon as the infection started its course.