Nephrotic syndrome refers to symptoms associated with rare kidney diseases, such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy, and minimal change disease. These symptoms include peripheral edema, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercholesterolemia. 

Nephrotic syndrome has been linked to cardiovascular and thromboembolic events, but researchers at Kaiser Permanente North Carolina were curious to see if it may increase the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), as well. Learn what the researchers did, what they found, and what it means.* 

What They Did

Researchers evaluated the medical records of 907 adult patients who were treated at Kaiser Permanente North Carolina between 1996 and 2012. The patients were matched on a 1:100 basis with healthy subjects, none of whom had diabetes, nephrotic syndrome, or proteinuria. 

What They Found

Among the patients with definite or presumed nephrotic syndrome, 40% had FSGS, 40% had membranous nephropathy, and 20% had minimal change disease. Investigators found patients with nephrotic syndrome had higher rates of: 

• ESKD
• Acute coronary syndrome 
• Ischemic strokes
• Venous thromboembolism
• Death

Moreover, researchers found a greater risk of ESKD in patients with membranous nephropathy and FSGS compared to those with minimal change disease. 

What it Means

The study’s findings support previous studies that found links between nephrotic syndrome and cardiovascular impacts. The link to ESKD is less researched and shows an area of opportunity for future exploration. 

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente North Carolina encourage careful surveillance of patients with nephrotic syndrome to help control kidney disease progression and to identify and manage cardiovascular risk factors. 

*Kaltwasser, J. (2021, August 13). Nephrotic Syndrome Linked With End-Stage Kidney Disease, Cardiovascular Issues. AJMC. https://www.ajmc.com/view/nephrotic-syndrome-linked-with-end-stage-kidney-disease-cardiovascular-issues