Dementia and Acute Kidney Injury Link: Patients Hospitalized for AKI More Likely to Develop Cognitive Disorder

While there is no known cure for dementia, early detection of the condition remains one of the essential factors in positive outcomes for both patients and their families.

As specified in a EurekAlert! report, AKI is causing biochemical changes in the brain in animal models and is linked to adverse neurological complications in patients admitted to the hospital. Understanding the long-term effects of AKI and the probable risk factors for dementia is essential in the context of public health.

Employing data from a community-based group of participants signed up in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities or ARIC study, researchers discovered that participants with hospital admissions for AKI were at higher risk of dementia than those who do not have hospitalizations.

The research published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases or AJKD has suggested that those hospitalized for AKI may constitute a high-risk population, warranting greater monitoring with the hope that early diagnosis may result in better outcomes.

Acute Kidney Injury

The National Kidney Foundation describes AKI, also known as acute renal failure or ARF, as a "sudden episode of kidney failure" or kidney impairment that occurs within a few hours or a couple of days. AKI is causing a buildup of waste products in the blood and makes it hard for the kidney to keep the right balance of fluid in the body.

This condition also affects other organs like the heart, lungs, and brain. AKI is typical in patients in the hospital, in intensive care units, and particularly in older adults.

Signs and symptoms of this disease differ depending on the reason. Some of these include a very small amount of urine living in the body; swelling in the ankles, legs, and around the eyes; tiredness or fatigue; confusion; shortness of breath; and coma or seizures in severe cases.

Link Between AKI and Dementia

In a 2018 report, EurekAlert! specified that AKI is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia, according to a study presented at the ASN Kidney Week that year.

AKI, an abrupt decrease in kidney function, frequently occurs following major surgeries or severe infections and is linked to long-term health problems, which include the development of chronic disease and cardiovascular disease. This illness is connected with acute neurologic complications, although the long-term consequences of AKI on brain health are not clear.

Possible Solution

According to a separate report by the National Kidney Foundation, the probability of losing an individual's mental faculties with age is increased in older adults who have chronic kidney disease.

The good news is that certain drugs lessen albuminuria or proteins in the urine, one of the earliest indications of kidney disease, and thus, may prevent or delay cognitive deterioration. Essentially, abnormalities in the capillaries, which are the tiniest blood vessels in the body, exist in the brains of people who die of dementia.

Similar capillary results are observed in the kidneys of those who have albuminuria, leading researchers to predict that albuminuria and vascular disease of the brain may go hand in hand.

Related information about acute kidney injury is shown on JJ Medicine's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Dementia in Science Times.