Faltering kidneys can hit mental functioning

HEALTH FLASH

Faltering kidneys can hit mental functioning

    Faltering kidneys can hit mental processes involved in thinking, understanding, reasoning or remembering, according to an American study. “The brain and kidney are both organs that are affected by the cardiovascular systems,” said study author Adam Davey. Researchers examined longitudinal data, five years apart, from 590 people. What they found was the greater a person’s decrease in renal functioning, the greater the decrease in overall cognitive functioning, particularly abstract reasoning and verbal memory. “They are both affected by things like blood pressure and hypertension, so it is natural to expect that changes in one organ are going to be linked with changes in another. This study provides us with evidence that the rate of cognitive decline is associated with deterioration in kidney function,” said Davey.