Does sex play a role in kidney function decline as we age? For many years, this answer was unknown, and the medical field looked at men’s and women’s kidney health the same way. A recent study, however, discovered differences that can affect approaches to kidney care going forward. Learn what the researchers did, what they found, and what it means. 

What they did

At the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø, Toralf Melson, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues reviewed the data of 1,837 healthy individuals from the Renal Iohexol Clearance Survey (RENIS). All of the participants were between the ages of 50 and 62 and had no major long-term diseases or risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Over an 11-year period, the researchers tracked and analyzed kidney function changes in the participants.

What they found

At baseline, the average glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which indicates the percentage of remaining kidney function, was 90 for women and 98 for men. While men initially had better kidney function, they experienced a 25% steeper decline in GFR than women did over the course of the 11-year study period. 

What it means

While the generalizability of the study results is limited by the participants all being of European descent, the authors believe that their findings are useful, and may support redefining CKD within age- and sex-specific parameters for diagnostic purposes. 

“This is the first study that repeats accurate measurements of kidney function in relatively healthy women and men during aging,” Melsom said in a statement. “By doing so we provide important knowledge regarding age-related loss of kidney function and sex disparities in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study may in part explain why more women are diagnosed with early CKD and more men develop severe CKD and kidney failure during aging.”

Minerd, J. (2022, August 17). Age-Related Kidney Function Loss Differs Significantly by Gender. MedPage Today. Retrieved September 7, 2022, from https://www.medpagetoday.com/nephrology/esrd/100271