Researchers V. Mahalingasivam et al. wanted to find out whether there is an acceleration in kidney function decline after COVID-19 infection and how this acceleration differs from other respiratory infections. Findings from their investigation were published in 2024 in the JAMA Network Open.
Kidney Function Decline After COVID-19 Infection
The researchers investigated whether COVID-19 infection leads to a faster decline in kidney function compared to other respiratory or lung infections like pneumonia. They also explored how hospitalization status influenced this relationship.
Mahalingasivam et al. specifically used the population-based database from the Stockholm Creatinine Measurements project. They were able to identify 134,565 individuals for the COVID-19 cohort and 35,987 individuals for the pneumonia cohort.
Findings
• Greater Kidney Function Decline: The study discovered a more pronounced annual decline in kidney function after COVID-19 compared to pneumonia. This decline is measured using the estimated glomerular filtration rate or eGFR.
• Impact of Hospitalization Status: The rate of kidney function decline was significantly higher at 5.4 percent per year than in non-hospitalized individuals at 3.4 percent per year and those hospitalized for pneumonia at 2.3 percent per year.
Implications
The researchers underscored the need for enhanced surveillance of kidney function in individuals recovering or who have recovered from COVID-19. Regular kidney function monitoring should become standard. This is especially true for those who were hospitalized.
Early detection of kidney disease could mitigate complications and improve patient outcomes. The researchers further recommended integrating kidney health into post-COVID care plans.
The findings also highlight a potential public health challenge due to the large number of COVID-19 cases globally and the possibility of increased chronic kidney disease or CKD incidence. These could spur a rethinking of resource allocation for CKD management and prevention.
Studies exploring the mechanisms underlying kidney function decline after COVID-19 infection and the systemic impacts of COVID-19 versus pneumonia are warranted.
FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE
- Mahalingasivam, V., Faucon, A.-L., Sjölander, A., Bosi, A., González-Ortiz, A., Lando, S., Fu, E. L., Nitsch, D., Bruchfeld, A., Evans, M., Wing, K., Mansfield, K. E., Tomlinson, L., and Carrero, J.-J. 2024. “Kidney Function Decline After COVID-19 Infection.” JAMA Network Open. 7(12): e2450014. American Medical Association. DOI: 1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.50014