- COVID-19 can cause acute kidney injury, often leading to dialysis and an increased risk of death.
- Vaccinated individuals are less likely to suffer severe kidney complications.
- Unvaccinated patients face higher risks of death both during and after hospitalization.
New research reveals that COVID-19 vaccination significantly lowers the risk of life-threatening kidney damage among patients hospitalized with the virus. The findings, published in the June issue of Kidney Medicine, show that unvaccinated individuals with severe kidney injury requiring dialysis were nearly three times more likely to die in the hospital than vaccinated patients.
Lead researcher Dr. Niloofar Nobakht, a health sciences clinical associate professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, stressed the vaccine’s critical role in reducing complications:
“The COVID-19 vaccine is an important intervention that can decrease the chances of developing complications from the COVID-19 infection in patients hospitalized with acute kidney injury.”
“It is important for individuals to discuss the benefits of getting vaccinated for COVID-19 with their doctors as it can decrease the chances of needing dialysis, which can severely affect the quality of life of patients and lead to further complications, including death.”
The Burden of Kidney Injury in COVID Cases
According to background data provided in the study, up to 46% of COVID-19 hospitalizations involve acute kidney injury, and some patients need dialysis while recovering from kidney damage caused by the virus.
The researchers analyzed health outcomes for approximately 3,500 hospitalized COVID patients between March 2020 and March 2022.
- Among fully vaccinated patients, 48% experienced kidney injury, slightly higher than the 42% among unvaccinated patients.
- However, the severity of injury was notably worse among the unvaccinated:
- 15.9% of unvaccinated patients needed dialysis
- Compared with 10.8% of vaccinated patients
Stark Differences in Mortality and Long-Term Outcomes
Unvaccinated patients who required dialysis were:
- 2.8 times more likely to die in the hospital
- 2.4 times more likely to die after hospital discharge
- 2.6 times more likely to remain on dialysis long-term
When adjusting for other factors, the overall mortality risk for unvaccinated patients increased sharply:
- 5.5 times higher risk of in-hospital death
- 4.8 times higher risk of death during long-term follow-up
Call for Continued Research
“This study also emphasizes the importance of the need for continued research in understanding how COVID-19 infections affect the kidney and how we should manage and monitor kidney complications from COVID-19 infections to improve patient outcomes,” Nobakht said.
The findings strongly support the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination against serious kidney-related complications, offering both short- and long-term benefits for patients. Medical professionals are encouraged to emphasize vaccination not only for respiratory protection but also to prevent potentially fatal renal consequences.
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Source: U.S.News & World Report
