Housing Insecurity May Increase Risk Of Kidney Disease

People with insecure housing in Baltimore, Maryland were 3.2 times more likely than people with secure housing to have albuminuria (elevated protein in the urine), which indicates kidney damage. Housing insecurity is characterized by high housing costs or unsafe living conditions that prevent self-care and threaten independence. The researchers recommended that kidney disease risk reduction efforts should recognize housing insecurity as a risk factor, and specifically target populations experiencing housing insecurity.

The researchers did not identify a causal factor as the link between housing insecurity and higher risk of kidney disease. They noted that few studies have evaluated . . .