Chronic insomnia is highly prevalent in the world, and the extent of its effects on the body are not fully known. A team led by Csaba Kovesdy and Jun Ling Lu (University of Tennessee Health Science Center), looked to see whether chronic insomnia might be linked with increased risks of dying early and developing kidney problems in a group of 957,587 US veterans with normal kidney function.

Over a median follow-up of 6.1 years, 23.1% of patients died, 2.7% displayed rapid kidney function decline, and 0.2% developed kidney failure. Chronic insomnia was associated with a 1.4-times increased risk of dying, a 1.5-times increased risk of rapid loss of kidney function, and a 2.4-times increased risk of developing kidney failure.

“Chronic insomnia is an important and relatively common condition among patients with normal kidney function. Attention to its proper management could have long-ranging positive effects,” said Dr. Kovesdy. “This hypothesis will need to be examined in dedicated prospective studies, including clinical trials.”

ASN Kidney Week 2017, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for more than 13,000 professionals to discuss the latest findings in kidney health research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Kidney Week 2017 took place October 31–November 5, 2017 in New Orleans, LA.