Cohort Study | Younger adults with modest kidney function reductions show increased risk of adverse outcomes

Summary: This study was a retrospective, population-based cohort study exploring the implications of modest reductions in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in young adults. The study was conducted on 8.7 million adult residents aged 18-65 years in Ontario, Canada, with no history of kidney disease. Data was collected from January 2008 to March 2021.

The research revealed that 18.0% of those aged 18-39, 18.8% of those aged 40-49, and 17.0% of those aged 50-65 had modestly reduced eGFR measurements specific to their age group. Adverse outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and kidney failure, were consistently higher by hazard ratio and incidence for ages 18-39 across all eGFR categories, compared to older groups. The hazard ratio for modest reductions (eGFR 70-80 mL/min/1.73m2) was found to be 1.42 for ages 18-39 years.

The findings suggest that even modest reductions in kidney function can significantly impact younger adults, necessitating frequent monitoring of kidney function in this demographic to prevent chronic kidney disease and its complications. It is noteworthy, however, that potential limitations of this study include possible misclassification of comorbidities, unmeasured confounding, and a lack of insight into the mechanism of these modest eGFR reductions.

Article: Associations between modest reductions in kidney function and adverse outcomes in young adults: retrospective, population based cohort study – The BMJ

News Release: Even a modest reduction in kidney function increases health risks in young adults – University of Ottawa