Acute kidney injury is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and others.
Acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden deterioration of kidney function, is relatively common in the elderly and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have suggested a possible link between AKI and brain injury.
The current study examined the association between AKI and different types of dementia. The researchers analyzed data from more than 300,000 people over the age of 65 from the Stockholm CREAtinine Measurement (SCREAM) project in Sweden. About one in four participants experienced at least one AKI episode during an average follow-up of twelve years, and 16 percent were diagnosed with dementia.
Those who suffered acute kidney injury had a 49 percent higher risk of developing any form of dementia. When each type of dementia was analyzed separately, the risk increase was 88 percent for Lewy body dementia or dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease, 47 percent for vascular dementia and 31 percent for Alzheimer’s disease. The risk increase was greater in people with severe kidney damage who required hospitalization or inpatient care.
“Our findings suggest that AKI is not just an isolated event affecting kidney function, but may have broader implications, especially for brain health,” said Hong Xu, assistant professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Healthcare Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and first author of the paper.
Identifying acute kidney injury as a risk factor for dementia may lead to earlier intervention, preventive treatment and better patient care.”
Juan Jesus Carrero, professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Karolinska Institutet and last author of the article
The next phase of the research aims to investigate the biological mechanisms linking AKI to dementia. The researchers will also evaluate whether different medications, lifestyle changes and monitoring procedures after acute kidney injury can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
The study was funded by StratNeuro, CIMED, KI Foundations and the Swedish Research Council. Corresponding author Yang Xu, a researcher at Beijing University Health Science Center and Karolinska Institutet, received funding from the Young Scientists Fund and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors have declared that there is no conflict of interest regarding this study.
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Magazine reference:
Xu, H., et al. (2024). Acute kidney injury and its association with dementia and specific types of dementia. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000209751.