Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and damage in your kidneys, which may lead to kidney failure over time.
IgA nephropathy develops when IgA builds up in your kidneys. IgA is a protein that your immune system uses to identify and eliminate antigens such as bacteria and viruses.
If you have IgA nephropathy, your body produces IgA that contains less galactose than usual. Your immune system attacks the abnormal IgA and causes clusters of protein to form. These protein clusters build up in your kidney and cause inflammation and damage.
Your kidneys are organs that filter your blood and remove waste products and excess fluid to create urine. Kidney damage from IgA nephropathy can cause blood and protein to leak into your urine, which sometimes causes brown- or red-colored urine.
Getting treatment for IgA nephropathy may help reduce inflammation, slow the development of the disease, and lower your risk of life threatening complications.
Multiple medications are available to treat IgA nephropathy. Your doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes or sometimes other treatments.
Read on to find the answers to some common questions about the outlook for IgA nephropathy.
Getting treatment for IgA nephropathy can help you manage the condition and improve your quality of life.
Some people with IgA nephropathy develop more severe symptoms or complications than other people.
It’s important to attend regular checkups with your doctor to monitor your condition and learn about your treatment options and outlook. Your doctor will order blood and urine tests to check for signs of kidney damage. They may also order kidney biopsies to collect samples of tissue to examine under a microscope.
Your doctor will also monitor you for signs of high blood pressure, which is common in people with kidney disease.
They may prescribe a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, or other treatments to help manage your condition. Your treatment may change if your condition gets better or worse.
IgA nephropathy can cause kidney failure, which is a life threatening complication. Your doctor may prescribe dialysis or a kidney transplant to treat kidney failure.
Some people with IgA nephropathy also have other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or liver disease. Having other conditions may affect your treatment plan and outlook.
Taking steps to support your mental health and emotional well-being is important for supporting your quality of life with IgA nephropathy. You might find it helpful to join a support group for people with kidney disease or connect with a mental health professional who has experience supporting people with chronic health conditions.
The outlook for IgA nephropathy can vary from person to person.
Symptoms of the condition may get better or worsen.
People with IgA nephropathy may eventually develop end stage renal disease, which is also known as end stage kidney disease or kidney failure. This life threatening condition requires dialysis or kidney transplantation to treat.
IgA nephropathy may be
- urine that contains more than 1 gram of protein per day
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- reduced kidney function
It’s also possible to develop kidney failure even if you do not have these risk factors at the time of your diagnosis.
Attending regular checkups and getting treatment is important for managing IgA nephropathy and improving your outlook with this condition. Your doctor can help you learn more about your treatment options and outlook.
IgA nephropathy can cause kidney damage that may get worse gradually or quickly.
Kidney damage may eventually lead to kidney failure, which happens when your kidneys no longer work well enough to filter your blood. It’s a life threatening condition that requires treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Research suggests that
A 2023 study conducted in the United Kingdom analyzed information from 2,299 adults and 140 children with IgA nephropathy. It followed participants for an average of 5.9 years and found that roughly 50% experienced kidney failure or death during the study. The average age for kidney failure was 49 years for people who received a diagnosis of IgA nephropathy in adulthood and 27 years for those who received a diagnosis in childhood.
Potential signs and symptoms of kidney failure include:
- fatigue
- drowsiness
- reduced urination
- high blood pressure
- swelling in your feet, legs, or face
- muscle twitches or cramps
- loss of appetite or weight
- nausea or vomiting
- difficulty concentrating
- difficulty sleeping
- dry or itchy skin
- darkened skin
Let your doctor know if you develop any of these signs or symptoms or notice other changes in your health. They may order blood tests, urine tests, or other tests to learn whether kidney failure or another condition is causing your symptoms.
More research is needed to determine the mortality rate for IgA nephropathy.
A 2024 study that was done in Eastern Europe followed 215 adults with IgA nephropathy over an average period of 7.3 years. It found that 20% of participants died of any cause during the study. The most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease.
A 2019 study conducted in Sweden compared people with IgA nephropathy to people without this condition. It followed participants for an average of 13.6 years and found that 1.1% of people with IgA nephropathy versus 0.7% of people without IgA nephropathy died from any cause during the study. The authors estimated that the average life span was 6 years shorter for people with IgA nephropathy.
Results from both of these studies suggest that the risk of death was increased for people with IgA nephropathy who had developed kidney failure.
Some people with IgA nephropathy may never develop kidney failure, or they may go for shorter or longer times before developing kidney failure. Kidney failure requires dialysis or organ transplantation to treat.
Scientists are continuing to develop and test new treatments for IgA nephropathy that might lower the risk of kidney failure or death from this condition.
Talk with your doctor to learn about the latest treatments for IgA nephropathy and how to improve your outlook.
IgA nephropathy can sometimes go away on its own.
In other cases, it does not go away on its own and may require lifelong treatment.
There’s no cure for IgA nephropathy. But getting treatment may help reduce symptoms, limit kidney damage, and lower your risk of complications.
IgA nephropathy can cause kidney damage that may eventually lead to kidney failure.
Your doctor can help you learn more about your outlook with IgA nephropathy, including your risk of kidney failure. They can also help you learn about treatment options that may help improve your outlook.
They’ll order regular tests to monitor your condition and may prescribe a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, and other treatments to help manage it.
Consider asking whether your doctor can recommend a support group or refer you to a mental health specialist to help you manage the challenges of coping with this condition.