Link between chronic kidney disease and mortality

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

People with chronic kidney disease have a five times increased mortality compared to the rest of the population.
Around ten million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the number is likely to go up, as it is linked to diabetes and increases with age. A group at the University of Edmonton now reveals just how serious the implications of CKD are. They analyzed data on more than 1.3 million patients and learned that mortality was up to five times higher for those with CKD (before adjusting for other factors).

The review focused on those whose condition was not severe enough for dialysis. When factors like heart disease were accounted for, CKD was still a significant risk factor. For those with even the mildest form of CKD, mortality was still 90 per cent higher over five years than for those with normal kidney function. The risk increased sharply with declining kidney function, being four times higher among those with the most severe form of the disease. The study suggested that over half of the deaths associated with CKD were from heart disease. A decline in kidney function was also linked with increased risk of cancer and infection. The findings suggest it is really important to identify those with CKD early and see what can be done to protect them from the increased mortality risk.

Source
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology July 2006

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