Skip to main content

Accelerated Kidney Function Decline Seen With COVID-19 Versus Pneumonia

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 31, 2024.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2024 -- COVID-19 is associated with accelerated decline in kidney function, especially after hospitalization, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Network Open.

Viyaasan Mahalingasivam, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues examined whether kidney function decline accelerated after COVID-19 versus other respiratory infections in a cohort study using linked data from the Stockholm Creatinine Measurements Project between Feb. 1, 2018, and Jan. 1, 2022. Data were included for all hospitalized and nonhospitalized adults in the database with at least one estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurement in the two years prior to a COVID-19 positive test result (134,565 individuals) or pneumonia diagnosis (35,987 individuals).

The median baseline eGFR was 94 and 79 mL/min/1.73 m2 for the COVID-19 and pneumonia cohorts, respectively. The researchers found that both infections demonstrated accelerated annual eGFR decline after adjustment for covariates, with a greater magnitude of decline seen after COVID-19 than pneumonia (3.4 and 2.3 percent, respectively). Among individuals hospitalized for COVID-19, the decline was more severe (5.4 percent) but was similar among those hospitalized for pneumonia.

"We therefore propose that people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 receive closer monitoring of kidney function to ensure prompt diagnosis and optimized management of chronic kidney disease to effectively prevent complications and further decline," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Risk of Long COVID Greater for Individuals With Social Risk Factors

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Individuals with social risk factors at the time of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have increased risk for...

Low Vitamin D Levels Up Risk for COVID-19 Hospitalization

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are tied to higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19, according to a study published online July 18...

COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Aid Outcomes in Patients With Cancer

TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- COVID-19 vaccination boosters protect people with cancer developing from severe COVID-19, according to a study published online July 17 in JAMA...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.