In the second study, Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, Josef Coresh, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), and their colleagues examined the effects of changes in kidney function in 13,029 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a population-based sample of individuals aged 45 to 64 years. The researchers followed patients from 1987 to 2006, and monitored participants' kidney function at the start of the study, three years into the study, and nine years into the study. Investigators found that a large drop in kidney function over time ”regardless of the initial level of function ”increased one's risk of developing heart disease and of dying early. Patients whose kidney function dropped by more than 5.6% per year demonstrated a 30% increased risk of developing heart disease and a 22% increased risk of dying prematurely compared to patients with stable kidney function.Physicians regularly monitor kidney function in elderly patients and patients with diabetes and hypertension to optimize the dose of prescription drugs excreted by the kidneys. This study indicates that physicians who detect a decline in patients' kidney function over time should view this as a sign of increased risk of heart disease and premature death.

"Our results suggest there may be clinical value in sequential kidney function data, often measured in routine care, even among individuals with mildly reduced kidney function," the authors wrote.

The authors in both studies report no financial disclosures. Dr. Shlipak's and Dr. Sarnak's co-authors include Ronit Katz, DPhil, Bryan Kestenbaum, MD, David Siscovick, MD (University of Washington); Linda Fried, MD (VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System); Anne Newman, MD (University of Pittsburgh); and Dena Rifkin, MD (Tufts-New England Medical Center). Dr. Matsushita's and Dr. Coresh's co-authors include Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, Lori Bash, PhD, Brad Astor, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), and Nora Franceschini, MD (University of North Carolina).

Source: American Society of Nephrology