Relationship between body composition and glomerular filtration rate estimates in the general population

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Estimates of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using serum creatinine can be imprecise due to variations in body composition.
• Understanding the relationship between body composition, handgrip strength, and eGFR is crucial for accurate kidney function assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between anthropometric measures, body composition, handgrip strength, and eGFR in community-dwelling adults.
• To determine if these factors could enhance the prediction of kidney function from serum creatinine.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 1,630 adults.
• eGFR calculated using Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations.
• Body composition assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; handgrip strength measured with a dynamometer.

Main Results:

• In women, eGFR showed inverse associations with height, lean mass percentage, and handgrip strength.
• In men, eGFR was inversely associated with lean mass percentage and handgrip strength.
• The R-squared values for these associations were small (less than 0.02).

Conclusions:

• Inverse relationships between eGFR and lean mass percentage/handgrip strength suggest potential for improving eGFR prediction.
• The observed effect size is small, and further studies with measured GFR are needed to confirm these findings.