Ji Seok Park, MD: The Connection Between Crohn's Disease and Kidney Disease

Patients with Crohn’s disease might be more susceptible to kidney disease, including acute kidney injuries (AKI).

In data presented at the 2021 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting, investigators from the Cleveland Clinic found fistulizing Crohn’s disease increases the healthcare burden and lengthens the duration of hospital stays in patients with AKI, but it was not associated with an increase in mortality.

The investigators found several demographics might be more likely to suffer from the condition, including younger patients, individuals living in the southern US, and patients with less comorbidity burden.

The patients were also more likely to have severe protein caloric malnutrition, vitamin B12 deficiency, hypokalemia, hypovolemic hyponatremia, require blood transfusions, and central parenteral nutrition.

While there was a higher burden with fistulizing diseases, higher length of stay, and higher overall costs, there was no significant differences found in hospital mortality, total charges, and inpatient outcomes.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Ji Seok Park, MD, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, explained what the results mean and why it is important to study these issues in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Park said 1 benefit of the study is if it does happen more frequently in younger patients, clinicians can intervene earlier.