Acute kidney injury is linked to a higher likelihood of developing dementia, as highlighted in a recent study.
A recent study published in the journal Neurology by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and others indicates that acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a raised risk of dementia.
Acute kidney injury, which refers to a sudden decline in kidney function, is fairly common among older adults and is connected with increased health complications and fatality rates. Prior research has hinted at a possible connection between AKI and brain damage.
The current research investigated the relationship between AKI and various forms of dementia. The team analyzed data from over 300,000 individuals aged 65 and above from the Stockholm CREAtinine Measurement (SCREAM) project in Sweden. Approximately 25% of the participants experienced at least one episode of AKI throughout an average follow-up period of 12 years, and 16% were eventually diagnosed with dementia.
Those who experienced acute kidney injury faced a 49% heightened risk of developing any kind of dementia. When different dementia types were examined individually, the risk climbed by 88% for Lewy body dementia or dementia linked to Parkinson’s disease, 47% for vascular dementia, and 31% for Alzheimer’s disease. The risk was even greater in individuals with severe kidney damage that required hospitalization or intensive care.
“Our results indicate that AKI is not merely a kidney issue but could potentially have wider implications for brain health,” states Hong Xu, assistant professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet and lead author of the paper.
“Recognizing acute kidney injury as a potential risk factor for dementia could facilitate earlier interventions, preventative therapies, and improved patient management,” adds Juan Jesus Carrero, professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and the study’s concluding author.
The next stage of this research will delve into the biological pathways that connect AKI to dementia. The team will also investigate whether various medications, lifestyle adjustments, and monitoring practices following acute kidney injury can lower the risk of developing dementia.
This study received funding from StratNeuro, CIMED, KI foundations, and the Swedish Research Council. Corresponding author Yang Xu, a researcher at Peking University Health Science Center and Karolinska Institutet, was also supported by the Young Scientists Fund and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors have reported no conflicts of interest in relation to this study.
