PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF KIDNEY AGING AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Abstract

Aging is a non-pathological process that involves physiological changes in the body, including renal changes, such as reduction in renal volume, reduction in the number of functioning nephrons and, as a result, a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It is estimated that around 6,000 nephrons are lost annually after the age of 30. Thereby, the aging process causes changes in kidney function, which does not necessarily imply kidney dysfunction. In this sense, understanding the differences between physiological and pathological renal aging is fundamental in the management of patients with changes in renal function. This article therefore aims to understand the renal physiological changes resulting from the aging process and their influence on the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). For this study, a literature review was carried out in which the books Principles of Anatomy and Physiology and Principles of Nephrology and Hydroelectrolytic Disorders, Google Scholar, Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Virtual Health Library (VHL) and National Library of Medicine (Pub Med MEDLINE) were used as a database, with articles for the last 9 years. It is concluded that the renal aging process comprises a series of highly complex events in which the kidney, even free of diseases, is compromised with age, as well as some changes, such as the loss of nephrons, reduction in the size of the kidneys and the decrease in GFR are responsible, in a cumulative and associated way, for a greater probability of renal failure.