Chronic stress accelerates kidney disease
Chronic stress fuels kidney disease by boosting cortisol and oxidative stress, per a new review.
Why it matters
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 10% of adults globally. Understanding stress's role could inform prevention and treatment strategies.
By the numbers
- CKD affects more than 10% of the global adult population.
- Key biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation include MDA, AOPPs, 8-OHdG, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.
The big picture
- Chronic stress contributes to CKD progression through a complex interplay of cortisol dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This suggests stress management could be a target for CKD intervention.
What they're saying
- "Reading this just stressed me out because of all of my normal stress, which can't be good for my kidneys." — Reddit user u/sometimeshiny
Caveats
- This is a review article synthesizing existing evidence, which may have limitations like heterogeneity and small sample sizes in included studies.
What’s next
- Future research could focus on developing biomarker panels for risk stratification and testing interventions targeting stress physiology.