Overweight, obesity and chronic kidney disease

The sharp rise in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that parallels an increase in the prevalence of obesity in the recent years is a cause for great concern. CKD increases the rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD), development of end-stage renal disease, and leads to premature death. Although no direct causality link between obesity and CKD can yet be established, this appears highly likely. CKD should be regarded as a major complication of overweight and obesity, regardless of whether the association was independent or through the influence of diabetes, hypertension, CVD, metabolic syndrome and high fructose intake. We review the literature on the complex but positive association between obesity and CKD, the pathological effect of excess adiposity in kidney injury and the potential role of weight reduction therapy in reducing the burden of CKD.