Objective To investigate the related factors of early renal injury in the elderly with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Sixty patients with COPD [age: (65±6) years] admitted in the Department of Respiratory Diseases of Ningxia People’s Hospital were enrolled in this study. Another 30 healthy individuals [age: (63±6) years] receiving physical examination during the same period served as normal controls. The COPD group was further divided into subgroups according to disease duration and nutrition: ≤10 years and ＞10 years subgroups; and poor nutrition and normal nutrition subgroups. Serum levels of albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (Hb) and total cholesterol (TC) were used to evaluate their nutriture. Routine laboratory markers of kidney injury were detected, including serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), cystatin C (CysC), white blood cells (WBC), and neutrophilic granulocyte percentage (NE%). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula. Results There was no significant difference in serum SCr, BUN, WBC and NE% between COPD group and control group (P＞0.05). But the serum levels of CysC and β2-MG were significantly higher, while those of ALB, Hb, TC and the eGFR were obviously lower in COPD group than in control group (P＜0.05). In the comparison of subgroups, the serum levels of CysC and β2-MG were significantly higher in the course over 10-year subgroup and the poor nutrition (hypoproteinemia, anemia and lower cholesterol) subgroup than in less than 10-year course and normal nutrition subgroups (P＜0.05). The eGFR was obviously lower in the course over 10-year subgroup than in less than 10-year course subgroup (P＜0.05). But no significant difference was seen in the serum level of SCr among different subgroups (P＞0.05). Pearson linear correlation analysis indicated that eGFR was positively correlated with ALB and Hb, and negatively correlated with disease duration, while β2-MG and CysC were negatively correlated with eGFR in COPD group. Conclusion Elderly with COPD have early renal injury. With the increase in the duration of disease and the decrease in ALB, Hb, and TC, the early renal injury becomes worse. There is a linear correlation of disease duration, ALB, and Hb with early renal injury in the elderly with COPD.