While researching new studies for my upcoming book, The Science of Food for Chronic Kidney Disease, I came across an article I found genuinely important — and I wanted to share it with you today.
Beyond food and kidney disease itself, the book will also cover topics that impact our whole body — just like the article I’m sharing today. It’s about something many of us worry about as we age: memory and brain health — and while it may not seem food-related at first glance, it turns out this topic has a lot to do with the way we eat and live too.
We’ve long known that CKD affects more than just the kidneys — it can touch the heart, the bones, and even the skin. This new study, published in BMC Neurology, asked an important question: what factors actually raise or lower the risk of dementia in people with CKD?
✅ Evidence strength: Strong. This was a large, well-designed study following over 16,000 people with CKD from the UK Biobank for an average of nearly 14 years. Researchers tracked 19 different lifestyle, medical, social, and sensory factors to see which ones were connected to a lower — or higher — risk of developing dementia.
Out of everything they measured, a few factors stood out as consistently meaningful, even after the researchers used strict statistical methods to rule out chance findings.
Linked to a lower risk of dementia:
Moderate physical activity — people with moderate activity levels had roughly a 23% lower risk than those who were largely inactive
Moderate computer use (about 1–2 hours a day) — linked to about a 24% lower risk. Interestingly, watching television or playing computer games didn’t show the same benefit. Researchers believe this is because using a computer tends to be more mentally engaging — you’re problem-solving, reading, or communicating — rather than passively watching.
Linked to a higher risk of dementia:
Hypertension (high blood pressure) — about 31% higher risk
Diabetes — about 66% higher risk
Depression — about 80% higher risk
Hearing loss — about 22% higher risk
Low social and leisure engagement — about 25% higher risk
Higher education was also associated with lower risk, likely because lifelong learning and mental engagement help build what scientists call “cognitive reserve” — a kind of mental resilience that helps the brain cope with age-related changes.
Your kidneys and brain are more connected than you might think. Both are full of small, delicate blood vessels, and both are sensitive to inflammation. When CKD causes ongoing inflammation and vascular stress in the body, that same stress can affect blood flow and function in the brain over time. This is sometimes called the “kidney-brain axis.”
This is also why conditions like hypertension and diabetes — both of which damage small blood vessels — showed up as risk factors for dementia in this CKD group, just as they do in the general population.
The best news from this study is that many of the biggest risk factors are things you already have some control over, often alongside your existing kidney care plan:
Move your body regularly. You don’t need intense exercise — moderate, consistent activity (like daily walks) was linked to real benefit.
Stay mentally and socially engaged. Time with friends and family, hobbies, and even moderate, purposeful computer use (emailing, reading news, video calls with grandchildren) were linked to better outcomes.
Take blood pressure and blood sugar seriously. These aren’t just kidney-protective — they’re brain-protective too.
Don’t ignore your hearing. If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing, mention it to your doctor. Treating hearing loss (such as with hearing aids) is an area of active research for dementia prevention.
Mental health matters. If you’re feeling persistently low, anxious, or withdrawn, please talk to your doctor. Treating depression isn’t just about how you feel day to day — this study suggests it matters for long-term brain health too.
⚠️ Like all research, this study has boundaries worth knowing about:
It’s an observational study, meaning it shows associations, not proof of direct cause and effect.
There was no comparison group of people without CKD, so we can’t be sure these patterns are unique to CKD versus aging in general.
Some findings — like differences by kidney function stage or genetic risk — were exploratory and need to be confirmed by future research.
None of this diminishes the practical message: the modifiable factors identified here (activity, social connection, blood pressure and blood sugar control, hearing health, and mental wellbeing) are worth prioritizing regardless.
As always, please talk with your care team about how these findings might apply to your own health picture. This newsletter is here to help you have better conversations with your doctors — not to replace them.
⏳ Only Two Weeks Left!
Understanding the whole-body impact of CKD — including its connection to brain health — is exactly why I’m writing The Science of Food for Chronic Kidney Disease. The Kickstarter campaign closes in just two weeks, and your support makes this project possible.
👉 Back the campaign today and help bring this resource to kitchens and clinics everywhere.
Ewerton Lopes
Certified in Geriatric Nutrition
Founder of MetaSano and CKD Evidence
Integrative Nutrition Specialist
Kidney Health Coach
Gerontologist
Institute For Integrative Nutrition Global Ambassador
You can purchase my new book The Science of Food for Chronic Kidney Disease by clicking here
Author of the book My Dog, My Healer: My path to overcoming chronic kidney disease
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