If you have IgA nephropathy, a kidney condition, your cholesterol levels might matter more than you think. A new study found that people with this kidney disease who also have high cholesterol face a much higher risk of their kidneys failing.
Researchers looked back at 458 patients with primary IgA nephropathy over an average of 4.5 years. They compared those with dyslipidemia—defined as high total cholesterol, triglycerides, or LDL—to those without it. The results showed that having high cholesterol was linked to a more than doubled risk of poorer kidney survival. Specific problems with total cholesterol and triglycerides were also tied to worse outcomes.
The study also found that high cholesterol was linked to certain harmful changes in kidney tissue. However, this was a retrospective, single-center study, so it can only show an association, not prove that high cholesterol causes kidney damage. The findings suggest that managing cholesterol might be important for people with IgA nephropathy, but more research is needed.