COVID-19 is known for its effects on our respiratory system but it can also harm other organs, as new research suggests the coronavirus could heighten the risk of acute kidney disorders.
Recent studies have highlighted the lasting impact that this virus can have on our memory and cognitive function. Now scientists have found a link between infection with SARS-CoV-2 and an increased risk of kidney disorders, according to new research published in the journal Health Data Science.
“Our research highlights the time-varying risk of acute kidney disorders in COVID-19 patients, particularly in the first three weeks following infection,” Li Chunyang, co-author of the study and research associate at West China Biomedical Big Data Center Sichuan University, said in a statement. “We observed that the hazard effects peak in the second week post-infection and decline by the fourth week.”
The study analyzed data from 10,121 COVID-19 patients and 29,004 uninfected controls. The data was taken from the UK Biobank, a biomedical database investigating the respective contributions of genetics and environment to the development of various diseases.
Researchers analyzed the association between COVID-19 infection and kidney disease within the first four weeks of infection, determining that patients affected by the coronavirus were significantly more likely to suffer kidney problems. The hardships were most likely to occur during the second week of infection.
This association was only apparent among those who suffered from moderate to severe COVID-19, although even mild infection was linked to a slight increase in kidney issues during the first week of infection.
Further research is needed to confirm the mechanisms behind this relationship but the study offers key insight into the relationship between COVID-19 infection and kidney function.
“The molecular mechanisms behind the association between COVID-19 and kidney damage remain unclear,” Zeng Xiaoxi, associate professor in the Nephrology Department at West China Hospital and another of the study’s co-authors, said in a statement. “Our future research will focus on elucidating these mechanisms and verifying causality, which could pave the way for targeted interventions.”
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References
Li, C., Zhang, C., Chen, J., Chen, Y., Ying, Z., Hu, Y., Song, H., Fu, P., & Zeng, X. (2024). The Time-Varying Impact of COVID-19 on the Acute Kidney Disorders: A Historical Matched Cohort Study and Mendelian Randomization Analysis. Health Data Science. https://doi.org/10.34133/hds.0159
