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. 2025 May 29;7(8):101039.
doi: 10.1016/j.xkme.2025.101039. eCollection 2025 Aug.

Renal Long COVID: A Scoping Review

Marcella M Frediani  1 , Heitor S Ribeiro  1 , Geraldo F Busatto  2 , Carlos R R Carvalho  3 , Emmanuel A Burdmann  1
Affiliations

Renal Long COVID: A Scoping Review

Marcella M Frediani et al. Kidney Med. .

Abstract

Rationale & objective: Whether long coronavirus disease (long COVID) affects the kidneys remains to be understood. In this scoping review, we described the evidence of renal long COVID.

Study design: A scoping review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines by searching MEDLINE, Embase, and other databases from inception until February 2025.

Setting & study populations: We included evidence on kidney-related outcomes in adult survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with data on long COVID.

Selection criteria for studies: Cohorts from all settings.

Data extraction: We extracted data related to longitudinal kidney outcomes.

Analytical approach: Data were synthesized and presented in tables and figures.

Results: We screened 6,203 studies and included 37 in this review (38 reports), comprising 1,308,265 individuals with follow-up data. The majority were retrospective (61%) and from Europe (37%). All reports included hospitalized patients and 34% also included the community setting. Acute kidney injury (AKI) during acute COVID-19 phase was assessed in 58% of the reports. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) development was assessed in 29% of the reports, with wide variation in its frequency, ranging from 0.4%-45%. Progression of CKD (7 studies, 18%) ranged from 8%-49%. Studies reporting higher frequencies of AKI found larger rates of renal long COVID. Overall, there was high heterogeneity in how kidney-related outcomes were reported during follow-up. Most studies presented data on crude kidney function biomarkers (eg, serum creatinine or estimated glomerular filtration rate), while a few (13%) reported major adverse kidney events. Data on proteinuria or urinary biomarkers were scarce.

Limitations: Lack of studies with pre-COVID-19 data.

Conclusions: This scoping review highlighted that renal long COVID, characterized by CKD development and/or progression, may occur. Available evidence suggests that AKI may be associated with renal long COVID. Therefore, long-term kidney function monitoring is advisable after COVID-19 recovery to enable early diagnosis and timely intervention for CKD.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; end-stage kidney disease; kidney replacement therapy; nephrology; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.

Plain language summary

Kidney complications may persist after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery, but their long-term impact remains unclear. Our review analyzed data from over 1 million patients and found that those who experienced acute kidney injury during COVID-19 had a higher risk of developing or worsening chronic kidney disease. However, the studies showed significant variation in how often renal long COVID occurred, highlighting the need for more research. Given these findings, regular kidney function monitoring after COVID-19 recovery is essential for early detection and intervention to prevent long-term complications. This study underscores the importance of recognizing renal long COVID as a potential consequence in the post-COVID era.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the literature search.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Geographical heatmap of the included evidence on renal long COVID.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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