Shawn M. Carter , 2025-05-07 14:10:00
Key takeaways:
- Patients with a family history of diabetes had a threefold higher risk for diabetes-related comorbidities.
- These patients also had a 48% increased risk for cancer and a 69% increase in CVD risk.
A family history of diabetes may be linked to chronic kidney disease progression, whereas family history of kidney disease does not correlate with disease advancement, according to published data.
“Family history of diabetes, rather than kidney disease, [has] emerged as a stronger predictor of faster CKD progression, Francesca Zanoni, MD, of the department of nephrology, dialysis and kidney transplantation at Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan and division of nephrology, department of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, told Healio. “This challenges a common assumption that a positive family history of kidney disease would automatically indicate a worse course.”
Patients with a family history of diabetes had a threefold higher risk for diabetes-related comorbidities. Image: Adobe Stock.
In a observational study, the first group of patients with CKD comprised 2,573 adults and children from the Cure Glomerulopathy Network. The second group included 3,939 adult patients with CKD from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort.
Researchers explored how a family history of CKD, diabetes and conditions with similar comorbidities may correlate with kidney disease progression in patients with CKD.
“Collecting a thorough family history should be standard practice for patients with CKD,” Zanoni said.
Researchers assessed self-reported first-degree family history of CKD, diabetes and other conditions using multivariable models to analyze associations with CKD outcomes.
Patients with a family history of diabetes had a more than threefold higher risk for diabetes-related comorbidities (adjusted OR = 3.37; 95% CI, 2.73-4.15).
Additionally, researchers found a 48% increased risk for cancer (aOR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.05-2.09) and a 69% increase in CVD risk (aOR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.36-2.1) for these patients.
The study also confirmed that polygenic risk scores for CKD were associated with disease progression (aHR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.16). Family history of kidney disease was not independently tied to CKD progression.
Family history of diabetes was linked to increased CKD progression risk independently of diabetes status and polygenic risk scores (aHR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05-1.35).
The findings underscore the “importance of collecting a broad family history from patients with kidney disease, as it can offer a quick and inexpensive means of risk stratification,” Zanoni said. “Clinicians might also consider addressing modifiable risk factors — like diet, weight and hypertension control — more aggressively in these patients.”
Future work could “delve deeper into the mechanisms by which a family history of diabetes impacts kidney outcomes,” Zanoni said. “In addition, incorporating family history data into existing risk prediction calculators could help to optimize long-term outcomes.”
For more information:
Francesca Zanoni, MD, can be reached at francescazanoni70@gmail.com.
Sources/Disclosures
Collapse
Disclosures:
Zanoni reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
