Aldosterone increases risk of chronic kidney disease progression

A steroid hormone called aldosterone is linked to an increased risk of kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease. This is in accordance to a study published in the European Heart Journal.

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, and that an existing drug that targets the action of aldosterone may help to prevent CKD getting worse.

investigated the associations between aldosterone concentrations in the blood and kidney disease progression among 3680 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study. They focused on CKD progression, which was defined as a 50% decline in the ability of the kidneys to filter blood through the glomerular blood vessels. They followed the patients for an average of nearly ten years. During this time CKD progression occurred in 38% of the participants.

They found that higher aldosterone concentrations were associated with lower eGFR, lower levels of potassium in the blood and higher potassium and protein concentrations in urine.

After adjusting for factors that could affect the results, such as medications, other medical conditions, age, race, height and weight, they found that each doubling of aldosterone concentrations in the blood was linked to an 11% increased risk of CKD progression.

Therefore, it was concluded that 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.

Reference:

Ashish Verma et al. Aldosterone in chronic kidney disease and renal outcomes, European Heart Journal. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehac352.