Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreJournal ClubResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeJournal ClubExplore
August 22, 2026Clinical and Experimental NephrologyOpen Access

Longitudinal associations between albuminuria and renal function and annual brain volume changes: the Ohasama study

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Why the study?

Longitudinal studies had not examined the associations between albuminuria, renal function, and changes in brain volume.

Is albuminuria or renal function associated with annual brain volume changes in a general Asian population without cardiovascular disease or antihypertensive treatment?

Population

114 participants aged ≥ 50 years without ischemic heart disease, stroke, or antihypertensive treatment in Japan

Comparison

UACR and eGFR levels

Design

Longitudinal study

Follow-up

Mean 4.78 years

Key result

High urinary albumin-creatinine ratio was significantly associated with annual symmetric percentage decline in the frontal lobe (β = -0.24), cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and insula.

Authors

SNShingo NakayamaMSMichihiro SatohSYSatoshi Yamaguchi

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

May signal early brain atrophy risk in untreated adults; hypothesis-generating and leaves open need for confirmatory trials before clinical use.

Key Points

  • To evaluate the longitudinal associations between albuminuria, kidney function, and annual changes in regional brain volume among community-dwelling older adults without antihypertensive treatment.
  • Analyzed 114 participants aged ≥ 50 years without a history of ischemic heart disease, stroke, or antihypertensive medication over a mean follow-up of 4.78 years in Ohasama, Japan.
  • Measured annual symmetric percentage change (ASPC) in brain volumes via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • Conducted multiple linear regression adjusting for covariates and applied inverse probability weighting (IPW) to correct for loss to follow-up bias.
  • Higher urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) was significantly associated with greater annual volume loss in the frontal lobe (β = -0.24, 95% CI -0.43 to -0.056, P = 0.011), cingulate gyrus (β = -0.18, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.0081, P = 0.040), parahippocampal gyrus (β = -0.20, 95% CI -0.38 to -0.026, P = 0.025), and insula (β = -0.19, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.018, P = 0.031).
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) showed no significant association with volume changes in any brain region, and UACR associations were no longer significant after multiple comparison correction.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=114)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Is albuminuria or renal function associated with annual brain volume changes in a general Asian population without cardiovascular disease or antihypertensive treatment?

P
Population
114 adults aged 50 years and older without a history of ischemic heart disease, stroke, or antihypertensive treatment, followed for a mean of 4.78 years.
E
Exposure
High urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
O
Outcome
Annual symmetric percentage change (ASPC) in brain volume measured by magnetic resonance imagingsurrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: β = -0.24 (95% CI -0.43 to -0.056)

p-value: p=0.011

Albuminuria may be associated with regional brain volume decline in older adults without cardiovascular disease, though findings were not robust to multiple comparison corrections.

Limitations

  • Selection bias due to excluding individuals on antihypertensive treatment and including healthier health checkup participants
  • Small sample size limiting detailed analyses and detection of eGFR associations
  • Unmeasured confounders such as diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors
  • Creatinine-based eGFR may be less accurate in individuals with preserved kidney function
  • UACR was measured only once at baseline, not accounting for intra-individual variability
  • Limited generalizability to other ethnic groups as only Japanese participants were included

Cite This Study

Nakayama et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in General population (n=114). Albuminuria (high urinary albumin-creatinine ratio) vs. Low urinary albumin-creatinine ratio was evaluated on Annual symmetric percentage change (ASPC) in frontal lobe volume (β = -0.24, 95% CI -0.43 to -0.056, p=0.011). High urinary albumin-creatinine ratio was significantly associated with annual symmetric percentage decline in the frontal lobe (β = -0.24), cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and insula.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a895eaeca7ade938187cbeahttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-026-02927-5
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share