Obesity and Kidney Disease: A Focus on Ciliopathies

The prevalence of obesity is progressively increasing on a global scale. Among its negative health consequences, renal damage is also observed. It is due to hemodynamic, metabolic, and inflammatory alterations. Ciliopathies are a group of disorders caused by dysfunction of the primary cilium; these include autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) as well as Alström and Bardet-Biedl syndromes. In ADPKD, obesity accelerates kidney disease progression. In Alström and Bardet-Biedl syndromes, renal disease is likely due to both local and systemic factors; in these syndromes, obesity represents one of the most common clinical manifestations, and studies are currently underway to evaluate its role in the progression of chronic kidney disease. The management of obesity involves lifestyle interventions, medications, and surgery. Interesting new pharmacological advances are now available for both obesity in the general population and obesity associated with certain genetic disorders; the protective role of many of these drugs in the progression of chronic kidney disease - sometimes even independent of weight loss - is an observation that further highlights the intricate relationship between dysmetabolism and kidney disease.