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Diana Jalal, MD

Contact Information

Office: CBRB 3269
Faculty Profile

Brief description of current research:

My research is focused on understanding the link between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. As such, I study risk factors that lead to both kidney and cardiovascular disease. Since the most common cause of kidney disease remains diabetes, some of my work has been focused in this population. As an example, some of my work has evaluated whether uric acid (which causes gout) contributes to an increased risk of diabetic kidney disease in individuals with type 1 diabetes. In addition, since a large number of patients who have kidney disease also have diabetes, then several of the clinical trials I have overseen and led have included patients with diabetic kidney disease. Recently, my group has recently shown that resveratrol, a nutraceutical supplement, improves the function of the vessels in patients with kidney disease and diabetes. One of the studies we are conducting at the Iowa City VA HCS is evaluating if pentoxifylline, an anti-platelet medication slows the progression of kidney disease in patients with diabetes.

4 most influential diabetes/obesity/metabolism publications:

  • Gimblet C, Kruse N, Geasland K, Michelson J, Sun M, Rehman Mandukhail S, Wendt L, Ten Eyck P, Pierce G, Jalal D. Effect of resveratrol on endothelial function in patients with CKD and diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. CJASN. In Press
  • Yamada M, Wachsmuth J, Sambharia M, Griffin B, Swee M, Schacht Reisinger H, Lund B, Girotra S, Sarrazin MV, Jalal DI. The Prevalence and Treatment of Hypertension in VHA, Assessing the Impact of the Updated Clinical Guidelines. J Hypertens. 2023 Jun 1;41(6):995-1002. PMID: 37071434
  • Jalal DI, Chertow GM. Urate Lowering With Combination Therapy in CKD: Reason for Optimism or Einstein's Definition of Insanity? Am J Kidney Dis. 2021. pr;77(4):478-480. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.11.007. Epub 2021 Feb 7. PMID: 33568321
  • Jalal DI, Decker E, Perrenoud L, Nowak KL, Bispham N, Mehta T, Smits G, You Z, Seals D, Chonchol M, Johnson RJ. Vascular Function and Uric Acid-Lowering in Stage 3 CKD, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY. 2017;28(3):943-952.

Quote: 

We need to commit to finding a cure for kidney disease. Everyone deserves a second chance.