Kidney Disease: Key Risk Factor for COVID-related Hospitalization

Chronic kidney disease is found to be the leading risk factor for hospitalization from COVID-19, stated a new study published in PLOS ONE.

Geisinger researchers studied the health records of 12,971 individuals who were tested for COVID-19 within the Geisinger system between March 7 and May 19. Of this group, 1,604 were COVID-positive and 354 required hospitalization.

‘Analysis of electronic health records reveals 11-fold increase in hospitalization for patients with COVID-19 and end stage renal disease. ’

The team analyzed the records for links between specific clinical conditions, including kidney, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic conditions, and COVID-19 hospitalization.

Chronic kidney disease was most strongly linked to hospitalization, and COVID-19 patients with end-stage renal disease were 11 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients without kidney disease.

"Previous studies have identified a variety of health conditions associated with an increased risk of COVID-related hospitalization, including diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. What is significant here is the magnitude of the kidney disease-related risk," said Alex Chang, M.D., Geisinger nephrologist and co-director of Geisinger's Kidney Health Research Institute. "These findings highlight the need to prevent COVID-19-related illness in patients with kidney disease and other high-risk conditions."

The physiological stress caused by an excessive inflammatory response to coronavirus infection was found to destabilize organs already weakened by chronic disease, or that organ injury from the virus could act as a "second-hit" to these organs, revealed new research.

Source: Medindia