Ouick weight loss linked to lowered CKD risk among men with NAFLD: Study

Key highlights of the study:

• Subjects who had obesity but did not have obesity on a subsequent BMI measurement in a subset of the cohort having access to a second BMI measurement had a considerably lower risk of developing CKD than those who had constant obesity (adjusted HR, 0.62).
• The incidence rates of CKD were the same in the groups with and without obesity (BMI, 25) during the course of a median follow-up of 10.1 years following NAFLD diagnosis (6.39 and 5.81 per 1000 person-years, respectively).
• A decreased risk for CKD was observed in NAFLD patients with a weight reduction of at least 10% (HR = 0.58) and 7.0% to 9.9% (HR = 0.53) compared to those with a weight change of less than 4.9%.
• Patients with high blood pressure were the only ones who had a decreased risk of losing less than 7% of their body weight when compared to people who were of stable weight (adjusted HR = 0.48).

The authors concluded that in males with NAFLD, losing weight may prevent the development of CKD. For the management of NAFLD, it's critical to track weight, waist-hip ratio, and circumference measurements. However, future research in other demographics is required, they added.

REFERENCE

Hu, S, Li, X, Sun, Y, et al. Short-term weight loss decreased the risk of chronic kidney disease in men with incident nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022; 30( 7): 1495- 1506. doi:10.1002/oby.23459