According to a study, chronic kidney disease is a leading risk factor for Covid-19 hospitalisation cases.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, analysed the electronic health records of 12,971 Covid-19 positive individuals within the Geisinger Health System in the United States. Of 12,971 people, 1,604 were Covid-positive, and 354 required hospitalisation.
The team explored the link between specific clinical conditions including kidney, cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic conditions, and Covid-19 hospitalisation.
The researchers found that overall, chronic kidney disease was most strongly associated with hospitalisation. They noted that Covid-19 patients with end-stage renal disease were 11 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients without kidney disease.
Alex Chang, Geisinger nephrologist and co-director of Geisinger's Kidney Health Research Institute said: "Previous studies have identified a variety of health conditions associated with an increased risk of Covid-related hospitalization, including diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease."
"What is significant here is the magnitude of the kidney disease-related risk," Chang added.
The study suggested that the physiological stress caused by an excessive inflammatory response to Covid-19 infection could destabilise organs that were already weakened by chronic disease. This inflammation could be a “second hit" to these organs.
"Consistent with this hypothesis, kidney and heart are among the tissues with the highest expression of ACE2, a SARS-CoV-2 receptor," the team wrote.