Scientists from Boston University found that a steroid hormone called aldosterone is linked to an increased risk of kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The risk of CKD worsening and developing into end-stage kidney disease was independent of whether or not patients had diabetes.
The team says the findings are important because they suggest that aldosterone plays a role in the progression not only of CKD but also heart and blood vessel problems.
They also suggest an existing drug that targets the action of aldosterone may help to prevent CKD from getting worse.
Aldosterone is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys.
Its main role is to regulate salt and water in the body, and so it plays a central role in controlling blood pressure. Too much of it can lead to high blood pressure, and heart and kidney diseases.
Recent studies have shown that a drug called finerenone is effective in delaying CKD progression and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes.
In the study, the team examined the associations between aldosterone levels in the blood and kidney disease progression among 3,680 participants. The participants were aged between 21 and 74 years old.
They followed the patients for about nearly ten years. During this time CKD progression occurred in 1,412 (38%) of the participants.
The team found that higher aldosterone levels were linked to lower levels of potassium in the blood and higher potassium and protein levels in urine.
They found that each doubling of aldosterone levels in the blood was linked to an 11% increased risk of CKD progression.
Patients with concentrations in the top 25% of the group had a 45% increased risk compared to the 25% of patients with the lowest aldosterone concentrations.
The risk was similar regardless of whether or not patients also had diabetes.
These findings are important as they suggest that higher concentrations of aldosterone may play a role in CKD progression and cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD.
This study provides evidence for the mechanism by which mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists could delay CKD progression and supports investigating their value in patients without diabetes.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has approved the use of finerenone for patients with CKD and diabetes.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about common sleep pills that may protect against kidney damage, and Keto diet may help reverse common kidney disease.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and results showing drinking coffee may affect your kidney health.
The research was published in the European Heart Journal and conducted by Dr. Ashish Verma et al.
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