Obesity Severity, Duration Association With CKD

Although it is well known that obesity is a risk factor for CKD, the impact of the severity and duration of obesity on chronic kidney disease (CKD) incidence is uncertain. Faranak Ghazy and colleagues studied the association of obesity severity and duration with CKD incidence to fill this gap. 

There were 8,697 participants in the study. Their mean age was 40±14 and 4,865 (56%) were women. The researchers calculated Cumulative Excess Weight (CEW) and Cumulative Excess Waist Circumference (CEWC) scores, which represent the accumulation of deviations from expected BMI and waist circumference values over time until the development of CKD or the end of the 15-year follow-up period. The research team used time-dependent Cox models, controlling for confounding variables, to examine the sex-stratified association of CEW and CEWC with CKD incidence. 

During the follow-up period, 3,629 (41.7%) participants developed CKD. Among the patients with CKD, 829 (65.4%) men and 1,839 (77.9%) women had a BMI above 25. High waist circumference was observed in 934 (73.7%) men and 1,306 (55.3%) women. There was a significant association between one standard deviation change of CEW and the development of CKD in both men (adjusted HR, 1.155; 95% CI, 1.081-1.232) and women (adjusted HR, 1.105; 95% CI, 1.047-1.167), but the association between CEWC and CKD development was only significant among men (HR, 1.074; 95% CI, 1.006-1.147). 

In summary, accumulating general and central obesity was associated with an increased incidence of CKD development over the 15-year follow-up period. 

Source: BMC Nephrology.