A recent study unveiled the long-term consequences of COVID-19 with encouraging news for survivors of COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury (COVID-AKI). The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association highlighted the lingering effects on kidney function in patients who battled COVID-19.
The retrospective longitudinal multicenter cohort study spanned from March 2020 to June 2022 and analyzed electronic health records of adult hospitalized patients with AKI by comparing the outcomes between those with COVID-19 and influenza-related AKI, as well as AKI from other causes. The study followed up with patients for up to two years post-discharge to assess the incidence of major adverse kidney events (MAKE), including mortality and the worsened kidney function.

The results of this study were from the analysis of 9624 hospitalized patients, including 987 with COVID-AKI. Despite initial concerns regarding the impact of COVID-19 on renal health, the survivors of COVID-AKI expressed lower rates of MAKE when compared to patients with AKI from other causes. The findings revealed a significantly lower risk of mortality and kidney function decline among the individuals who underwent COVID-19 by suggesting a more favorable long-term prognosis for kidney health in this cohort.
The study highlighted distinct demographic and clinical characteristics among patients with COVID-AKI, including a slightly younger age, higher baseline kidney function and more severe illness markers which indicates the unique challenges faced by this population. In summary, the findings of the study suggest that survivors of COVID-AKI may experience better long-term kidney function and lower mortality rates when compared to those with AKI from other causes that offers hope in the fight against the lasting impacts of the pandemic.
Source:
Aklilu, A. M., Kumar, S., Nugent, J., Yamamoto, Y., Coronel-Moreno, C., Kadhim, B., Faulkner, S. C., O’Connor, K. D., Yasmin, F., Greenberg, J. H., Moledina, D. G., Testani, J. M., & Wilson, F. P. (2024). COVID-19−Associated Acute Kidney Injury and Longitudinal Kidney Outcomes. In JAMA Internal Medicine. American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8225