Does acute kidney injury affect the chances of developing dementia?

Dementia affects cognitive abilities and can cause memory problems, reduced language skills, and emotional disorders. National Institute on AgingDementia occurs when “changes occur in certain areas of the brain that cause neurons (nerve cells) and their connections to not work properly.”

Population Reference Bureau Reports About 7 million older Americans have some form of dementia, and the organization projects that number to nearly double by 2040.

Alzheimer's disease It accounts for the majority of dementia cases and other Types of Dementia include Lewy body dementia, Vascular dementiaand mixed dementia.

There is currently no cure for dementia, but some medications can help slow its progression or manage symptoms.

The study authors pointed to the following specific risk factors: High blood pressureobesity, and alcohol consumption can contribute to dementia, and the researchers wanted to focus on whether acute kidney injury increases the risk of dementia.

“Understanding additional risk factors for dementia is important for early identification of at-risk individuals and for advancing prevention and surveillance strategies,” the authors write. write.

The authors concluded that acute kidney injury is associated with a high risk of death. Blood-brain barrier.

The researchers used data from the SCREAM project, which tracks medical data on the Swedish population.

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 300,000 adults who were 65 years or older at the time of their first outpatient creatinine measurement. Creatinine measurement Evaluate kidney function.

Part of the researchers' inclusion criteria included participants not having a dementia diagnosis at the start of the study.

The mean age of participants was 75 years and 56.6% of participants were women. The mean follow-up period of participants was 12.3 years.

The researchers used follow-up creatinine measurements to assess acute kidney injury events. The authors considered an acute kidney injury event to have occurred if a participant's creatinine measurement was 1.5 times higher than baseline, their creatinine measurement was 0.3 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) higher than the mean, or they experienced temporary kidney failure. Dialysis.

The researchers recorded dementia findings based on whether participants were taking anti-dementia medications, diagnosis codes, or had started enrollment. Swedish Cognition/Dementia Registry (Sve/Dem).

By examining the SCREAM project records, scientists were able to link events of acute kidney injury to the onset of dementia.

Approximately 26% of participants experienced at least one acute kidney injury, and 16% developed dementia.

The study found that the incidence of dementia was significantly higher after acute kidney injury, with a 49% increased risk of developing dementia compared to before experiencing acute kidney injury.

Considering the severity of acute kidney injury, the authors noted that people with more severe acute kidney injury, or acute kidney injury requiring hospitalization, were at higher risk of dementia.

The researchers also looked at certain types of dementia to see if they were at higher risk of acute kidney injury than others. The authors noted that risk was increased in the following:

Overall, this study highlights that people with acute kidney injury, especially those with severe acute kidney injury, may need to take extra care when it comes to monitoring their cognitive health.

“In terms of clinical applications, this research: [acute kidney injury] “As a population that may require dementia monitoring and potential prevention and treatment strategies,” the authors note.

Dr. Jason Krelman“These findings suggest that the brain is more likely to be involved in the development of cognitive impairment than the brain,” said Dr. Gregory B. Schneider, an associate professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York and president of the New York Neuropsychology Group, who was not involved in the study. Today's Medical News About research.

“[Acute kidney injury] “Because vascular disease in the brain is associated with high blood pressure and heart disease, damage to the blood vessels in the brain may help explain the increased risk of dementia, particularly vascular dementia,” Krelman explains. “Relatedly, vascular disease and brain inflammation may also be linked to other types of pathologies that cause dementia, although the mechanisms by which this occurs are still unclear.”

Krelman also explained that the findings could make health care professionals aware that they may need to see a neurologist for evaluation after severe acute kidney failure, or “to get a baseline in case there are changes in the future and catch symptoms early.”

In addition to acute kidney injury, Chronic kidney disease It may also affect the risk of dementia.

“We've long known that kidney disease and kidney failure can lead to cognitive decline and dementia, especially in people with severe disease and those well over 65 years of age,” Krelman said.

For people worried about their risk of dementia, Krelman offered some suggestions.

” [acute kidney injury] “People should do all they can to reduce vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” Krelman said. “That means adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, including tolerable aerobic exercise, eating right and not smoking.”

Shyam Singh, MD“These are people who are not involved in the study,” said psychiatrist at the Winit Clinic in Santa Monica, California. MNT Regarding the survey results.

“The recent findings showing an association between acute kidney injury and increased risk of dementia could lead to a major change in clinical practice,” said Singh.

Singh further explained that the findings could inform enhanced surveillance, integrated care approaches and prevention strategies.

” [acute kidney injury] “Because dementia is progressive and cognitive decline occurs, cognitive function in these patients will need to be monitored more closely,” he said. “Regular cognitive assessments will become a standard part of follow-up care, allowing for earlier detection of dementia symptoms.”

Singh also said the findings highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to care.

“Collaboration between nephrologists, neurologists and geriatricians is essential to provide comprehensive care,” Singh explains. “This multidisciplinary approach allows us to address both kidney and brain health simultaneously, optimizing patient outcomes through coordinated care.”