A study featured in the
Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN) this month indicates that depression is associated with an elevated risk of decline in renal function in patients over 65 years of age. 5,785 people in the United States aged 65 and older were studied across a 10 year period. The study participants were in varying stages of physical health. For those without renal problems at the beginning of the study, depression was associated with higher instances of new-onset chronic kidney disease, while participants who had kidney problems at the outset of the study were more likely to develop renal failure over the course of the 10 year period when accompanied by depressive symptoms.
According to the results, depression coincided with the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and was 20% more common in individuals with kidney disease than those without kidney disease. The study shows that depression predicted subsequent rapid decline in kidney function, new onset clinically severe kidney disease (or end-stage renal disease), and hospitalizations that were complicated by acute kidney injury. When the investigators corrected for the long-term effects of other medical measures, the predictive value of depression for hospitalizations with acute kidney injury remained high.
Take home message: "People with elevated depressive symptoms have a higher risk of subsequent adverse kidney disease outcomes. This is partially explained by other medical factors related to depression and kidney disease. But, the association with depression was stronger in patients who were otherwise healthy compared to those who had co-existing medical disorders such as diabetes or heart disease," explains Kop.
Medical News Today
The researchers are now examining which factors could explain the level of coincidence with depressive symptoms,
. . .which could include delayed seeking of medical care and miscommunications between patient and physicians and important biological processes associated with depression, such as the immune and nervous systems.
Science Daily
Similar studies have been conducted but yielded inconsistent results. The current study examines a broader range of individuals, in terms of general physical health, than many previous studies. The significant positive correlation between renal problems and depressive symptoms indicates a need for further research to better determine the nature of the association.