A study featured in the
Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN) this month indicates that depression is associated with an elevated risk of decline in renal function in patients over 65 years of age. 5,785 people in the United States aged 65 and older were studied across a 10 year period. The study participants were in varying stages of physical health. For those without renal problems at the beginning of the study, depression was associated with higher instances of new-onset chronic kidney disease, while participants who had kidney problems at the outset of the study were more likely to develop renal failure over the course of the 10 year period when accompanied by depressive symptoms.
