People with reduced kidney function more often have elevated levels of biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease in their blood. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the Karolinska Institute, who analyzed data from 93 studies involving more than 62,000 people from 21 countries. The results were published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Researchers assessed the relationship between the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) — a key indicator of kidney function — and the concentration of markers such as amyloid-β, tau protein, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and GFAP in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. It was found that even a slight decrease in eGFR was associated with increased levels of NfL, GFAP, and amyloid-β40 in the blood. Moreover, this relationship persisted even after accounting for comorbid factors.
However, no clear relationship was identified for the markers in cerebrospinal fluid — the results were more ambiguous. This may indicate that blood tests are more susceptible to the influence of comorbid conditions.
The authors emphasize that as blood tests for dementia biomarkers are increasingly integrated into clinical practice, it is important to consider kidney status when interpreting results. Otherwise, there is a risk of overestimating neurological changes where part of the effect may be related to impaired kidney filtration function.
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