Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Moving Cupping Along Meridians for Acute Exacerbation of COPD
Published on: September 27, 2024
Is Renal Impairment an Anticipated COPD Comorbidity?
Hesham A AbdelHalim1, Heba H AboElNaga2
1Pulmonary Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. heshamatef@med.asu.edu.eg.
Insights
Chronic renal failure is common in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), often presenting as concealed disease. Decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate, not just serum creatinine, indicates worsening renal function in COPD patients.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Nephrology
- Comorbidity Research
Background:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with numerous comorbidities, yet its relationship with chronic renal failure remains unclear.
- Understanding this link is crucial for comprehensive patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of overt and concealed chronic renal failure in COPD patients compared to a control group.
- To investigate the association between clinical/functional data and renal status in COPD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study involving 136 COPD patients and 104 controls.
- Comparison of clinical factors, renal function (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate), and spirometry between groups.
- Analysis of correlations between renal parameters and clinical/spirometry data.
Main Results:
- COPD patients exhibited significantly worse renal function and a higher prevalence of concealed chronic renal failure compared to controls.
- Concealed chronic renal failure was more prevalent than overt chronic renal failure across all groups.
- Significant correlations were found between serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate with various clinical and spirometry measures in COPD patients.
Conclusions:
- Chronic renal failure is a significant, often unrecognized, comorbidity in COPD patients.
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate is a more sensitive indicator of renal impairment in COPD than serum creatinine alone.
- Healthcare providers should actively screen for and manage renal dysfunction in COPD.
Background:
Many studies have investigated COPD-linked comorbidities and their influence on associated outcomes, but the extent to which COPD is related to chronic renal failure is undetermined. The objective of this work was to assess the prevalence of chronic renal failure (overt or concealed) in a cohort with COPD compared with that of a control group, and to investigate the relationships of the clinical and functional data with the subjects' renal conditions.
Methods:
The study was performed with 136 subjects with COPD and 104 control subjects. The subjects with COPD were divided into 2 groups according to a combined assessment. The COPD and control groups were compared in terms of clinical factors, renal function, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and spirometry data. The prevalence of the renal status types was examined in all groups, and the correlations of serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate with all of the clinical and spirometry data were examined.
Results:
There were significant differences between both COPD groups and the controls regarding estimated glomerular filtration rate. Significantly worse renal function was observed in the COPD group, which also exhibited a greater percentage of subjects with concealed chronic renal failure. Additionally, there were significant differences in renal status among the 3 groups; the percentage of subjects with concealed chronic renal failure was significantly greater in group 2 than in both group 1 and the control group. Additionally, the percentages of subjects with concealed chronic renal failure were greater than those with overt chronic renal failure in the 3 groups. There were significant correlations of serum creatinine with COPD assessment test, exacerbations and hospitalizations, percent-of-predicted FVC, percent-of-predicted FEV1/FVC, percent-of-predicted maximum mid-expiratory flow, and percent-of-predicted peak expiratory flow. Moreover, there were significant correlations between estimated glomerular filtration rate and all of the clinical and spirometry data.
Conclusions:
Chronic renal failure should not be ignored or underestimated in patients with COPD because it frequently cannot be recognized based on serum creatinine because decreases in estimated glomerular filtration rate are more prevalent.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
01:11Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...
01:24Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
01:17Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
01:26COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...