THE ESSENTIAL
- Multimorbidity, that is, the presence of more than two chronic diseases, is strongly associated with an accelerated decline in renal function in older people.
- Patients with cardiometabolic pathologies and cognitive disorders are at particularly high risk.
- Increased monitoring and timely pharmacological interventions can preserve renal function and reduce cardiovascular risks.
“Individual chronic diseases have been associated with decline in kidney function. However, the role of multimorbidity, or the presence of more than two conditions, and patterns of multimorbidity are unclear.” This is what researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University (Sweden) wrote in a study published in the journal Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. So, they decided to recruit and follow 3,094 adults for 15 years. The average age of the sample was 73.9 years. “Multimorbidity was defined as the number of chronic diseases and patterns of multimorbidity were identified using latent class analysis (LCA)”the team clarified.
The more chronic diseases you have, the more pronounced the decline in kidney function
According to the data, 87% of respondents suffered from multimorbidity. There was an independent dose-response relationship between the number of chronic diseases and the decline in kidney function, such that as the number of chronic diseases increased, the decline in kidney function became more likely and more pronounced. According to the authors, if we consider the composition of pathologies rather than their number, the risk of decline in kidney function was particularly high for participants with cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease. fatty liver, hypertension or even heart failure. “Furthermore, cognitive and sensory pattern showed an accelerated relative decline.” In contrast, people with psychiatric and respiratory comorbidities did not appear to be at high risk for decline in kidney function, despite having a higher average number of illnesses.
“Increased surveillance” and “timely pharmacological interventions” to preserve the kidneys
In the findings, the team highlights the importance of a comprehensive assessment that takes into account not only the overall burden of chronic diseases, but also the complex interaction between pathologies when assessing the risk of disease decline. renal function in the elderly. “Individuals with diseases characteristic of high-risk multimorbidity patterns may particularly benefit from increased monitoring of renal function, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, and timely pharmacological interventions,” Giorgi Beridze, who led the research, said in a statement.
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