Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (759 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Conditions in which the kidneys perform below the normal level in the ability to remove wastes, concentrate urine, and maintain electrolyte balance; blood pressure; and calcium metabolism. Renal insufficiency can be classified by the degree of kidney damage (as measured by the level of proteinuria) and reduction in glomerular filtration rate.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Renal Insufficiencies; Kidney Insufficiency; Insufficiency, Kidney; Kidney Insufficiencies; Kidney Failure; Failure, Kidney; Failures, Kidney; Kidney Failures.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Kidney Diseases
- Narrower topics
- Acute Kidney Injury; Cardio-Renal Syndrome; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
Related concepts
- Kidney
- Urine
- Electrolyte Balance
- Blood Pressure
- Calcium
- Proteinuria
- Glomerular Filtration Rate
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 231,075 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Renal Insufficiency” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 58,053 of them (25.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 73,925 records.
Reviews account for 37,645 records (16.3%) and meta-analyses for 3,444. Randomized controlled trials number 7,248 (3.1%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 59,280 |
| 2000-2009 | 39,817 |
| 2010-2019 | 73,925 |
| 2020 onward | 58,053 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 37,645 | 16.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 3,444 | 1.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 7,248 | 3.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Renal Insufficiency"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in kidney, urology and women's health
Kidney, urinary and reproductive health research uses lab markers (such as creatinine), imaging, symptom scores and registry data on pregnancy and birth. Findings about pregnancy are especially sensitive to who was studied and when in pregnancy exposure occurred. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment, fertility or pregnancy; speak to a qualified clinician. Check the population, the outcome measured and whether the study accounted for other health differences between groups.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081 |
| Protein mediators of chronic kidney disease in Type 2 diabetes: A mendelian randomization study | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42726788 · DOI · PMC13568495 |
| Influence of Albumin Treatment Duration on Outcome of Terlipressin Therapy in Patients With HRS-AKI | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42813964 · DOI · PMC13625807 |
Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionObesity is a significant barrier to kidney transplantation (KT).
- Closing excerpt
- WMPs integrated within KT programs may overcome barriers to establishing care with WMPs.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (244 words)
IntroductionObesity is a significant barrier to kidney transplantation (KT). KT candidates with obesity are often referred to weight management programs (WMP) but patients' acceptance for WMP referral and their subsequent follow-through are unknown.Design and methodsUsing a single-center study, we evaluated the effectiveness of referrals to medical or surgical WMPs among KT candidates to initiate obesity care. We examined factors associated with patients establishing care and any effects of referral acceptance on BMI, KT waitlisting and transplantation.ResultsThe median age was 57 years, 49% were male, 56% were White, 79% were on dialysis, and 53% were from high social disadvantage areas. Thirty patients (50.8%) accepted WMP referral but only 9 (15.3%) contacted WMP. Patients accepting referral had higher BMI [median 47 vs. 45; p = 0.002] and resided closer to the KT center [20 vs. 48 miles; p = 0.010]. In multivariable models, referral acceptance decreased 2% with each mile away from KT center (OR 0.98; 95%CI: 0.96-1.00) and increased by 22% with every 1 unit increase in BMI (OR 1.22, 95%CI: 1.03-1.45). Among patients accepting referral, every 1-year increase in age reduced odds of contacting WMP by 17% (OR 0.83, 95%CI: 0.74-0.96).ConclusionA large share of KT candidates with obesity do not establish care with WMPs. Increasing age and distance to KT center were contributing factors to low referral acceptance and engagement. Efforts aimed at obesity management in KT should consider these barriers. WMPs integrated within KT programs may overcome barriers to establishing care with WMPs.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081
Protein mediators of chronic kidney disease in Type 2 diabetes: A mendelian randomization study [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundChronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in 20-50% of the people living with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionsCollectively, these findings suggest that T2D influences the risk of CKD, in part, through increased circulating INHBC levels.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (336 words)
BackgroundChronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in 20-50% of the people living with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide. The cause of CKD is not fully understood, and few interventions prevent CKD in individuals living with diabetes. Here, we use large-scale proteomics data to identify circulating proteins that mediate the relationship between T2D and kidney disorders.Methods and findingsFirst, we used two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) and identified 71 circulating proteins whose levels were altered by genetic predisposition to T2D based on circulating proteomic GWAS from deCODE with 35,559 individuals and T2D GWAS with 80,154 cases. Then, we used cis-genetic variants to proxy the causal effect of some of these T2D-influenced circulating proteins and found that, collectively, five proteins (INHBC, GNPTG, LPO, AGRN, and CTSD) affected three kidney traits (blood urea nitrogen [BUN], estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and CKD risk) based on GWAS with up to 1,004,040 participants. Notably, we found that higher levels of circulating INHBC protein were estimated to lead to a lower eGFR and higher BUN based on MR analyses. We then replicated this MR analysis with proteomic GWAS from four additional cohorts, namely, UKB-PPP, Fenland, ARIC, and EPIC-Norfolk. We observed a consistent direction of effect across all four proteomic GWAS datasets, supporting the robustness of our results against platform and cohort variation. In observational analyses, increased circulating INHBC levels were associated with increased hazard for kidney disease diagnosis in 37,854 UK Biobank participants. We estimated that circulating INHBC levels mediate 1.3% (95% confidence interval [0.85%, 1.9%]) of the association between T2D and kidney disease diagnosis. There are important limitations in this study. Firstly, although we observed limited evidence for violations to the MR assumptions, some are untestable. Secondly, our study was not based on individuals with diabetic kidney diseases, but rather independent population-based studies assessing diabetes and kidney function separately. Therefore, additional functional analyses in disease specific cohort are needed.ConclusionsCollectively, these findings suggest that T2D influences the risk of CKD, in part, through increased circulating INHBC levels.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42726788 · DOI · PMC13568495
Influence of Albumin Treatment Duration on Outcome of Terlipressin Therapy in Patients With HRS-AKI [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Background and aimsVolume expansion with albumin is recommended to establish a diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury (HRS-AKI).
- Closing excerpt
- Clinical trial numberNCT06161766.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (179 words)
Background and aimsVolume expansion with albumin is recommended to establish a diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury (HRS-AKI). The optimal duration of albumin administration is debated and requires balancing the risk of overtreatment with the need for timely diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the impact of different albumin treatment durations on terlipressin response and the prognosis of patients with HRS-AKI treated with terlipressin and albumin.MethodsThis multicenter, retrospective secondary analysis included patients with suspected HRS-AKI who were treated with terlipressin and albumin at 12 German centers. One hundred forty five patients were available for further analysis. The cohort was dichotomized into patients treated with albumin for ResultsMedian MELD score of the cohort was 25 [IQR 21; 31]. During follow-up, 59 patients (40.7%) achieved a complete response to treatment with terlipressin, and 96 patients (66.2%) died or received an LT. Response rates to terlipressin therapy did not differ between albumin treatment groups (ConclusionExtending albumin treatment beyond 24 h had no impact on treatment response to terlipressin and albumin or HD-/LT-free survival in patients with HRS-AKI.Clinical trial numberNCT06161766.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42813964 · DOI · PMC13625807
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article SGLT2 Inhibitors and Kidney Outcomes by Glomerular Filtration Rate and Albuminuria: A Meta-Analysis [4]
- Research article Long-term risks of adverse kidney outcomes after acute kidney injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Spironolactone in patients on chronic haemodialysis at high risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (ALCHEMIST): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial and updated meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Impact of Gut Microbiome Modulation on Uremic Toxin Reduction in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis [7]
- Research article A meta-analysis of albuminuria as a surrogate endpoint for kidney failure [8]
- Research article Kidney and Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Patients With CKD Receiving GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials [9]
References
- Lavenburg LM, Morford H, Stark S, Kamat S, Mendoza MS, Molinari M, et al.. Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates. . 2026. PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081
- Liang KYH, Zheng TM, Tan D, Sasako T, Ilboudo Y, Chen Y, et al.. Protein mediators of chronic kidney disease in Type 2 diabetes: A mendelian randomization study. . 2026. PMID 42726788 · DOI · PMC13568495
- Schleicher EM, Labenz C, Uschner FE, Pohl J, Passenberg M, Praktiknjo M, et al.. Influence of Albumin Treatment Duration on Outcome of Terlipressin Therapy in Patients With HRS-AKI. . 2026. PMID 42813964 · DOI · PMC13625807
- Neuen BL, Fletcher RA, Anker SD, Bhatt DL, Butler J, Cherney DZI, et al.. SGLT2 Inhibitors and Kidney Outcomes by Glomerular Filtration Rate and Albuminuria: A Meta-Analysis. JAMA. 2026. PMID 41203232 · DOI · PMC12595549
- Veltkamp DMJ, Porras CP, Gant CM, Groenestege WMT, Kok MB, Verhaar MC, et al.. Long-term risks of adverse kidney outcomes after acute kidney injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2025. PMID 40424522 · DOI · PMC12559794
- Rossignol P, Zannad F, Massy Z, Azizi M, Chorfa F, Coadic J, et al.. Spironolactone in patients on chronic haemodialysis at high risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (ALCHEMIST): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial and updated meta-analysis. Lancet. 2025. PMID 40818851 · DOI
- Cedillo-Flores R, Cuevas-Budhart MA, Cavero-Redondo I, Kappes M, Ávila-Díaz M, Paniagua R. Impact of Gut Microbiome Modulation on Uremic Toxin Reduction in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2025. PMID 40219004 · DOI · PMC11990722
- Heerspink HJL, Collier WH, Chaudhari J, Miao S, Tighiouart H, Appel GB, et al.. A meta-analysis of albuminuria as a surrogate endpoint for kidney failure. Nat Med. 2026. PMID 41198855 · DOI
- Chen JY, Hsu TW, Liu JH, Pan HC, Lai CF, Yang SY, et al.. Kidney and Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Patients With CKD Receiving GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials. Am J Kidney Dis. 2025. PMID 39863261 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.