Obesity and Kidney Disease: What Some Don't Know

In the case of patients with obesity and their risk of kidney disease, what they don't know might hurt them — and many don't know, a new study found.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers found significant associations between abdominal obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk factors and early CKD markers.

This study also found many who showed albuminuria, which is considered an early CKD marker, were not always aware of their raised risk. Albuminuria is when albumin, a protein, is found in the urine. This means the kidneys may have some damage, and, as a result, albumin starts to spill into the urine.

This study looked at around 7,000 young adults. Patients with abdominal obesity were more likely than other patients to exhibit increased levels of albumin in the urine despite having normal blood pressures, normal blood sugar and normal insulin levels.

The researchers did find some differences among different ethnic groups.

This study was published recently in PLOS One. The National Institutes of Health and American Society of Nephrology funded this research. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.