According to a recent article, a study showed males diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are not more at risk than females for kidney failure or even death.

Vasculitis

Vasculitis refers to inflammation of the blood vessels, which can cause multiple negative side effects to the affected vessels. They can narrow, which restricts blood flow, or close altogether, which keeps blood from getting through, resulting in organ and tissue damage. They can also stretch and weaken so much that the vessel bulges. That is called an aneurysm, and if it bursts, it can cause dangerous bleeds inside the body. There are a large number of disorders that may be characterized by or associated with vasculitis. There are also multiple subtypes of vasculitis, grouped based on the size of the blood vessels they affect. It can affect veins and arteries of any size, one to several organs at a time, and can be acute (short) or chronic (long lasting). Vasculitis affects males and females equally, and it is most commonly seen in the elderly.

Symptoms:

Since vasculitis can affect specific organs and body systems, there’s quite a range of symptoms that vary in type and severity. It should be noted that an individual will not show all of the symptoms listed below at once; the symptoms they show will depend on type, organs affected, and severity of the condition.

• Fever
• General aches and pains
• Swelling
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Night sweats
• Rash
• Numbness and weakness
• Blood clots
• Lesions, spots, bumps, bruises, hives, or itches on the skin
• Arthritis in the joints
• Shortness of breath
• Inflammation of the sinuses
• Inflammation of the lungs
• Ulcers in the mouth
• Middle ear infections
• Red, itchy, burning eyes that may blur and become sensitive to light

Previous Studies

In 2018, a study reported that Norwegian male patients with AAV were at an increased risk of advanced kidney disease. Their study claimed males were twice as likely to develop kidney disease that was end-stage. The Norwegian study used data between 1991-2012, which may have altered the results due to oral cyclophosphamide being used for treatment. That medication, which was immunosuppressive, was hypothesized to react differently to the different genders.

New Study Findings

The findings from this new study, done by a team in Ireland, directly counter these past findings. The researchers of the current international, multi-center study reported there was not a significance difference in either potential kidney failure or death. The researchers looked at 332 medical records of patients with AAV in either the Irish Rare Kidney Disease Registry or Royal Free Hospital in London, U.K. between 2012 and 2020. A majority of participants (58%) were male and Caucasian (92.2%) with an average age of 62.

The study used a median follow-up time of 40.2 months. At this point, 73 patients (22%) had developed advanced kidney disease and 47 had died (14%). 84% were alive after one year, and 79% were alive at five years. These percentages were not drastically different in males and females. Overall, this showed males were not more at risk of developing kidney failure.