Waistline matters in kidney disease

Obesity as assessed by body mass index is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and progression of kidney disease in those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this cohort of patients with CKD, Sankar D. Navaneethan et al studied whether different obesity measures such as intra-abdominal fat, liver fat, and subcutaneous fat (obtained using an MRI scan) were associated with known cardiometabolic risk factors. The authors further assessed whether physical function (measured using a 400m walk test) was independently associated with the same cardiometabolic risk factors. Their analysis suggests that all measures of higher fat content were associated with an increased level of cardiometabolic risk factors. While slower walk time were associated with an increased level of cardiometabolic risk factors, it did not modify the associations between fat measures and these risk factors. In summary, these data highlight that various abdominal fat measures and lower physical fitness levels are associated with a higher cardiovascular risk in those with CKD

Credit: 
National Kidney Foundation