Research

Mixed

In individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the presence of sarcopenia (defined by low muscle strength, mass, or performance) significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality and progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

If you have chronic kidney disease, having low muscle strength or mass is a serious warning sign that increases your risk of death and needing dialysis. You should get your muscle strength checked (e.g., handgrip test) and prioritize physical activity, as it is one of the most effective ways to counteract muscle loss and improve your prognosis.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Participants with CKD and sarcopenia had a 33% (7% to 66%; P = 0.011) higher hazard of mortality compared with individuals without. Those with sarcopenia were twice as likely to develop ESRD (hazard ratio: 1.98; 1.45 to 2.70; P < 0.001).
Thomas J. Wilkinson et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2021

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort study (UK Biobank, n=428,320) with rigorous statistical adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Association of sarcopenia with mortality and end‐stage renal disease in those with chronic kidney disease: a UK Biobank study

Thomas J. Wilkinson et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2021

DOI 10.1002/jcsm.12705

cohort · n=428320Cited 210×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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