Depression is linked to the faster development of chronic kidney disease and the onset of renal failure, according to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
Such conclusions were reached by scientists from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands, together with colleagues from several research centers in the USA, who for 10 years monitored the health of almost 6. residents of four American counties. Participants were 65 years of age or older at study entry and were not on dialysis.
The questionnaires were used to gather information on the symptoms of depression and risk factors for chronic kidney disease and heart disease. The stage of chronic kidney disease and renal failure was assessed by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It is calculated using data on the level of creatinine (a product of muscle metabolism) in the blood.
It turned out that depression occurred by 20 percent. more often among people with chronic kidney disease than among people without the condition. Moreover, in depressed patients, kidney function deteriorated more rapidly, end-stage renal failure was more common, and acute renal failure developed more frequently during hospital stays. When the analysis included other factors that could affect the course of kidney disease, it turned out that depression was most strongly associated with acute renal failure during hospitalization.
Dr. Willem Kop, who led the study, explained that this relationship may be partly explained by the fact that depression is often associated with factors that increase the risk of severe kidney disease. It is mainly about cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. However, the association of depression with a worse course of kidney disease was stronger in patients in better health than in those with diabetes or heart disease – explains the specialist.
Therefore, scientists plan in the future to check what other factors may be responsible for this relationship. Perhaps the point is that patients with depression later seek medical help, are unable to communicate with a doctor, or some important biological processes accompanying depression, such as changes in the immune system or nervous system, play a role.
About 500 million people worldwide suffer from chronic kidney disease, but most of them do not know it. The disease is usually a consequence of poorly treated diabetes or high blood pressure. It increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and deaths by several times. It also gradually leads to extreme kidney failure.
Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease slow down its development and significantly extend the patient’s life. Simple tests are helpful in this – a general urine test and measuring the level of creatinine in the blood. If every adult – regardless of their health condition – performed them once a year, the detection of chronic kidney disease in the early stages would increase significantly. (PAP)