Today, Sidse Høyer defended her PhD dissertation entitled “Acute kidney injury in children and young adults – from a perinatal perspective”. 

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden decline in kidney function that may have lasting consequences for long-term kidney health. Increasing evidence suggests that susceptibility to kidney disease may be established early in life, including during fetal development. This PhD project examines AKI in children and young adults in a population-based setting, with a focus on early-life factors and long-term consequences. 

Using nationwide Danish register data, the project investigated temporal patterns of AKI, the role of early-life factors, and the long-term consequences for kidney and cardiovascular health. The studies showed that AKI rates remained stable over the past 15 years. Children born smaller than expected for their gestational age had a higher risk of developing AKI later in life, particularly among those with major birth defects. In addition, individuals with AKI had a substantially higher risk of developing hypertension and chronic kidney disease compared with individuals without AKI.

The summary is written by the PhD student.