@article {1322, title = {The risk of infection-related hospitalization with decreased kidney function.}, journal = {Am J Kidney Dis}, volume = {59}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Mar}, pages = {356-63}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Moderate kidney disease may predispose to infection. We sought to determine whether decreased kidney function, estimated by serum cystatin C level, was associated with the risk of infection-related hospitalization in older individuals.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study.

SETTING \& PARTICIPANTS: 5,142 Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) participants with measured serum creatinine and cystatin C and without estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <15 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at enrollment.

PREDICTOR: The primary exposure of interest was eGFR using serum cystatin C level (eGFR(SCysC)).

OUTCOME: Infection-related hospitalizations during a median follow-up of 11.5 years.

RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, eGFR(SCysC) categories of 60-89, 45-59, and 15-44 mL/min/1.73 m(2) were associated with 16\%, 37\%, and 64\% greater risk of all-cause infection-related hospitalization, respectively, compared with eGFR(SCysC) >=90 mL/min/1.73 m(2). When cause-specific infection was examined, eGFR(SCysC) of 15-44 mL/min/1.73 m(2) was associated with an 80\% greater risk of pulmonary and 160\% greater risk of genitourinary infection compared with eGFR(SCysC) >=90 mL/min/1.73 m(2).

LIMITATIONS: No measures of urinary protein, study limited to principal discharge diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower kidney function, estimated using cystatin C level, was associated with a linear and graded risk of infection-related hospitalization. These findings highlight that even moderate degrees of decreased kidney function are associated with clinically significant higher risks of serious infection in older individuals.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cohort Studies, Female, Glomerular Filtration Rate, Hospitalization, Humans, Infection, Kidney, Male, Risk Factors}, issn = {1523-6838}, doi = {10.1053/j.ajkd.2011.07.012}, author = {Dalrymple, Lorien S and Katz, Ronit and Kestenbaum, Bryan and de Boer, Ian H and Fried, Linda and Sarnak, Mark J and Shlipak, Michael G} }