Patients with kidney problems are twice as likely to die from Covid-19, according to a study led by Imperial College London. The research found that 48 per cent of Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care units in London and Birmingham with new acute kidney injury died, while 50 per cent of those with pre-existing chronic kidney disease succumbed. In contrast, only 21 per cent of patients with normal kidney function died from the virus.
The study, published in the journal Anaesthesia, monitored 372 patients admitted to intensive care between March 10 and July 23. Of these, 216 had kidney problems, and 139 died in hospital. The average age was 60, most were men, and 76 per cent were from BAME backgrounds—factors known to increase Covid-19 mortality risk.
Dr Sanooj Soni, an organ damage expert and intensive care consultant at Imperial College London, warned that many patients with kidney problems are unaware of their condition. 'If you end up getting kidney problems on top of severe Covid-19 symptoms your mortality rate doubles right away—that's a very big deal,' he told The Telegraph. He urged medics to be on 'high alert' for kidney issues and to admit such patients to intensive care earlier.
The researchers suggested that the increased death rate may be due to 'lung-to-kidney cross talk', where initial lung injury leads to kidney failure from a cytokine storm. Drug toxicity, heart problems, and high blood pressure may also contribute. The study also found that one-fifth of patients who survived Covid-19 still required kidney treatment after discharge from intensive care.
In the UK, as many as three million people suffer from kidney problems, while in the US there are 37 million sufferers. The condition is often undiagnosed because it has few symptoms. The NHS recommends seeing a GP if experiencing symptoms such as tiredness, swollen ankles, or changes in urination.
