Multiple socioeconomic deprivation and impact on survival in patients with primary glomerulonephritis

Background: The impact of multiple socio-economic deprivation on patient outcomes in primary renal diseases is unknown. We aimed to assess whether risk of death or requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN) was higher in patients living in an area of multiple socio-economic deprivation. Methods: Patients undergoing native renal biopsy between 2000 and 2014 were identified. Baseline demographics, postcode at time of biopsy, follow-up blood pressure, proteinuria and time to death or RRT were recorded. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a multidimensional model used to measure deprivation based on postcode. Using SIMD, patients were separated into tertiles of deprivation. Results: A total of 797 patients were included, 64.2% were male with mean age of 54.1 (standard deviation 17.0) years. Median follow-up was 6.3 (interquartile range 3.7–9.4) years during which 174 patients required RRT and 185 patients died. Patients in the most deprived tertile of deprivation were significantly more likely to die than those in the least deprived tertile [hazard ratio (HR) 2.2, P < 0.001], independent of age, baseline serum creatinine and blood pressure. They were not more likely to require RRT (P = 0.22). The increased mortality risk in the most deprived tertile was not uniform across primary renal diseases, with the association being most marked in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (HR 7.4) and IgA nephropathy (HR 2.7) and absent in membranous nephropathy. Conclusion: We have demonstrated a significant independent 2-fold increased risk of death in patients with primary GN who live in an area of multiple socio-economic deprivation at the time of diagnosis as compared with those living in less deprived areas.