Before a CT scan or angiogram, many people should take inexpensive drug to protect kidneysrth a loo,

Worth a look for those needing scans, especially deep scan x-rays

clipped from www.eurekalert.org Iodine contrast agents that enhance the scans can harm vulnerable kidneys, but N-acetylcysteine taken beforehand can protect at-risk patients ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As more and more Americans undergo CT scans and other medical imaging scans involving intense X-rays, a new study suggests that many of them should take a pre-scan drug that could protect their kidneys from damage. The inexpensive drug, called N-acetylcysteine, can prevent serious kidney damage that can be caused by the iodine-containing “dyes” that doctors use to enhance the quality of such scans. That “dye,” called contrast agent, is usually given intravenously before a CT scan, angiogram or other test. But the new study shows that taking an N-acetylcysteine tablet before receiving the contrast agent can protect patients — and that it works better than other medicines that have been proposed for the same purpose.