Long-term outcomes after AKI-a major unmet clinical need.

In this issue of Kidney International, a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis provides an up-to-date picture of the long-term risks of death, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) that follow an episode of acute kidney injury (AKI). Results confirm the significant event rate of these adverse outcomes following AKI and demonstrate that AKI severity and the clinical setting in which AKI occurs are important determinants of risk. In this commentary we discuss the implications of this study and how the results signal some key priorities for future research in an area of substantial clinical need.