In a recent review article published in a magazine Nature Reviews Nephrologyresearchers synthesized what is known about the long-term effects of chronic hydration.
Most people know that staying hydrated is essential to staying healthy, but research shows that in the United States and Europe, nearly half of adults surveyed suffer from hydration. It is known that this is a problem. Experts believe the lack of inclusion in health guidelines and increased preventive testing by doctors are exacerbating the condition.
Although the short-term effects of acute dehydration are widely known, the long-term effects of chronic dehydration have received less clinical focus.
Epidemiological studies suggest that even mild but chronic dehydration can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, obesity, decreased kidney function, premature death, and accelerated aging. It has been. These findings were strengthened by observing mice exposed to chronic water restriction.
Review: Long-term health outcomes associated with hydration status. Image credit: Love the wind / Shutterstock
Adaptive response to water deficit
Homeostasis is a state of balance between all body systems necessary for the body to survive and function properly, and water balance is a key mechanism for achieving this. Osmoregulation, the control of water and salt balance, is known to provide an osmotically stable environment for many cells.
Dehydration causes adaptive changes throughout the body. You must always balance fluid loss through breathing, gastrointestinal tract, sweat, and urine with fluid gain through food and fluid intake.
The body must maintain a stable composition and amount of intracellular fluid (ICF) and extracellular fluid (ECF). Changes in water content in the body due to excess or deficiency affect all organs, tissues, and cells.
One response to a lack of water balance is the release of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP), which reduces water loss through excretion. Water reabsorption is accelerated, while vasoconstriction, blood pressure stabilization, and heart rate increase occur.
Thirst and appetite for salt are also stimulated by AVP and angiotensin II (ANGII). But thirst regulation, or anticipatory suppression, works to prevent you from drinking too much. Your thirst response may also decrease with age. Sweat production is also reduced, so a sweltering environment impairs thermoregulatory responses, which can lead to chronic kidney disease.
Over time, chronic water deficiency may establish a new steady state of water balance, matching water loss with water intake. This reaction can be triggered in situations where access to water is restricted. Over time, this can lead to deterioration of physiological systems, but these mechanisms are poorly understood.
Diseases related to dehydration
Researchers believe that hydration, or dehydration, is a moderate decrease in the amount of water in the body in which water-conserving mechanisms are activated to maintain normal levels of plasma osmolarity and sodium. This is in contrast to dehydration, a condition in which water-conserving mechanisms are unable to maintain water balance.
Acute fluid loss is most pronounced in military personnel and athletes, where it increases heart rate and reduces anaerobic performance. Acute dehydration can also negatively impact cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, short-term memory, and vision.
Certain illnesses and conditions are thought to make you more susceptible to dehydration. For example, uncontrolled diabetes can reduce water reabsorption from the kidneys, resulting in water loss. Increased urine output can be caused by nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and some forms of polycystic kidney disease. Conversely, certain cancers and drugs can stimulate AVP secretion and cause hyponatremia even when fluid intake is low.
Interventions to increase hydration
In response to emerging evidence about the negative effects of hydration, researchers have begun investigating whether optimal hydration can prevent or delay metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
Interventions that focus on treatments aimed at increasing fluid intake have found that participants forget to drink, lack access, are thirsty, dislike the taste of water, and are unaware of the benefits of adequate hydration. It turns out that they face barriers such as: Another problem was work-related interruptions due to increased urination frequency.
These challenges were demonstrated by an experiment in which compliance with the fluid intake schedule was found to be lower compared to an inert syrup control solution.
One trial that succeeded in increasing fluid intake in an intervention group found that increased fluid intake was significantly associated with lower copeptin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease. Other researchers found that the biggest changes were seen in people who habitually drink less.
conclusion
Although the literature has identified associations between chronic water deficit markers and increased risk of several chronic diseases, the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are not well understood. Although there are indications that hydration may be a preventive measure, causal inferences are limited by lack of adherence to hydration regimens.
However, even with these limitations, there is evidence that optimal hydration may be beneficial for habitually low drinkers. Future research on the effectiveness of interventions to increase fluid intake should monitor compliance more closely and continue to focus on chronically dehydrated populations who can gain the most fluid intake. There is.
