Obesity and CKD in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Narrative Review

Obesity is a major public health problem in the developed world, where it has reached an epidemic status over the last few decades. In parallel with this, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased. Although obesity is a risk factor for hypertension and diabetes, it is also independently associated with the development and progression of CKD. Two-third of patients with CKD worldwide will be residents of developing countries by the year 2030. Risk factors for CKD are prevalent in the sub-Saharan Africa region; this review discusses the available data regarding the relationship between obesity and CKD. The prevalence of CKD appears to correlate with increasing adiposity in sub-Saharan Africa; however, limited data are currently available, and the analysis of this association is further complicated by a variety of parameters used to define obesity. (eg, body mass index vs waist circumference). Longer, large-scale studies are needed to inform the prevalence and kidney implications of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa.