Drink or suffer? Water at the heart of vital organs

#Dehydration #VitalOrgan #Pediatrics  


Chronic dehydration is a known risk factor for numerous diseases, particularly those affecting the kidneys, liver, and heart. It disrupts the body’s balance, promotes inflammation and oxidative stress, and can lead to progressive damage to organs. In children, the situation is worrying. In China, 82% of young people aged 6 to 17 do not drink enough water according to recommendations (1600 to 2500 mL per day). Yet hydration remains largely overlooked in treatments, and current recommendations are often too general and poorly suited to the pediatric age group.  

The limitations are clear: lack of solid data in children, absence of reliable tools to measure hydration, and low awareness among families and professionals. The aim of this review is therefore to better understand the impact of hydration on renal, hepatic, and cardiovascular health in children.    

What if water protected our organs?

In this study, lifestyle habits and organ health in children were assessed in detail. Hydration status was measured based on daily water intake, urine color and frequency, as well as precise urinary concentration analyses. Children were then classified according to their hydration level. To analyze the effects of dehydration, several tests were conducted:         

• The kidney was studied through urine tests (proteins, kidney function).
• The liver was analyzed by MRI and by measuring urea synthesis.
• The heart was examined using echocardiograms and electrocardiograms.  

On the renal level, research shows that chronic dehydration is associated with elevated urinary proteins, early markers of transient renal impairment. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, combined with increased oxidative stress, leads to functional alterations that could progress to chronic kidney disease.  

Regarding the liver, a suboptimal hydration status was correlated with an increased risk of metabolic fatty liver disease. Children experiencing prolonged dehydration show a reduced hepatic capacity to synthesize urea, along with structural alterations visible via imaging, suggesting silent but progressive hepatocellular distress.  

Finally, the cardiovascular effects of dehydration are not negligible. In children, a reduction in stroke volume, changes in ventricular structure, and decreased venous return have been observed. These functional alterations, although sometimes reversible, pose an increased risk of developing coronary pathologies in adulthood.    

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