Obesity may increase risk of kidney failure in patients with glomerulonephritis

Between 1975 and 2020, global obesity climbed nearly thrice. Many investigations revealed an increase in obesity-related kidney disease, the majority of which were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

In a new study it was shown that Obesity rates in glomerulonephritis (GN) patients are rising. Obese people had a much greater frequency of FSGS, DMN, and HT-N, despite the fact that IgAN is the most frequent type of glomerulonephritis (GN). Obesity was associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESKD) development in individuals with GN, particularly in minimal change disease and lupus nephritis patients.

This study was conducted by Tae-bum Kim and team and the abstract of this study was published in The American Society of Nephrology on 04th November, 2021.

Between 1979 and 2018, a total of 14,833 adult patients who had renal biopsy and had a body mass index (BMI) were identified in 18 tertiary institutions. Obesity was classified as having a BMI of 30 kg/m2. We looked studied the prevalence of certain types of glomerulonephritis in obese people, as well as the impact of obesity on mortality and ESKD.

Obese individuals with glomerular disease rose about 12.8-fold during a 40-year period between 1979-1988 (0.6%) and 2009-2018. (7.7% ). IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common in GN patients with obesity (33.7%), followed by FSGS (13.3%), minimal change disease (MCD) (10.8 %), membranous nephropathy (10.6%), diabetic nephropathy (DMN) (6.0%), lupus nephritis (LN) (2.7%), and hypertensive nephropathy (HT-N) (2.6% ). Obese individuals had significantly greater rates of FSGS, DMN, and HT-N than non-obese patients. Obesity was associated with a 1.39-fold greater risk of ESKD advancement in total patients during a 93.80.8-month follow-up period. Obesity increased the likelihood of ESKD development in MCD and LN. Obesity was not linked with ESKD in patients with FSGS, DMN, or HT-N. Obesity was not connected with death in GN patients, whereas it was associated with mortality in MCD patients.

Obese MCD patients had decreased renal function and higher percentage of global sclerosis, and obese MCD and lupus nephritis patients had persistent proteinuria after diagnosis," researchers team stated.

Reference: Kim TB, Min HJ, Son YB, et al. The impact of obesity on glomerulonephritis: a multicenter cohort study of kidney biopsy over 40 years. Presented at: Kidney Week 2021; November 2-7, 2021. Presentation: PO1565.