Kidney injury triggers brain changes: new study shows how acute kidney injury accelerates the onset of dementia, doubling the risk across various dementia types. Study: Acute Kidney Injury and Its Association With Dementia and Specific Dementia Types: Findings From a Population-Based Study in Sweden. Image Credit: crystal light / Shutterstock.
com A recent study published in the journal Neurology examines the association between dementia risk and a prior history of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI and dementia Dementia is a condition in which cognitive function declines progressively, thereby impacting the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). In 2019, about 55 million people were estimated to be affected by dementia.
Dementia is an incurable and progressive condition that requires active and comprehensive prevention strategies to reduce the public health burden and costs associated with its management. Several factors increase the risk of developing dementia, some of which include lower educational status, traumatic brain injury, midlife hypertension or obesity, diabetes, drinking, smoking, depression and social isolation, air pollution, and physical inactivity. Like dementia, AKI increases the risk of adverse health outcomes, including death due to the development of heart and renal failure.
Preclinical studies indicate that AKI increases dementia risk. This association may involve multiple mechanisms, such as cerebrovascular pathology, autonomic dysfunction, ab.