Association of obesity severity and duration with incidence of chronic kidney disease

Obesity is a known risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the impact of obesity severity and duration on CKD incidence is unclear.

Cumulative Excess Weight (CEW) and Cumulative Excess Waist Circumference (CEWC) scores were calculated, which represent the accumulation of deviations from expected body mass index and waist circumference values over time until the development of CKD or the end of the follow-up period. Time-dependent Cox models were used to investigate the sex-stratified association of CEW and CEWC with CKD incidence while controlling for confounding variables.

Out of the 8697 participants who were evaluated in this study, 56% (4865) were women and the mean age was 40 ± 14. During the 15-year follow-up period, 41.7% (3629) of the participants developed CKD. Among the CKD patients, 65.4% (829) of men and 77.9% (1839) of women had a BMI higher than 25, and high WC was found to be 73.7% (934) and 55.3% (1306) for men and women, respectively. We found a significant association between one standard deviation change of CEW and the development of CKD in both sexes (fully adjusted hazard ratios and 95% CI of CEW in men and women were 1.155 [1.081-1.232) and 1.105 (1.047-1.167)]. However, the association between CEWC and CKD development was only significant among men participants [HR = 1.074 (1.006-1.147)].

Over a 15-year follow-up, the accumulation of general and central obesity was associated with an increased incidence of CKD development.