The association between Metabolic indicators and chronic kidney disease in adults--a cohort analysis

In recent years, the correlation between metabolic disorders and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has received increasing attention. However, the association between metabolic markers and CKD risk remains unclear. This study was conducted among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults to investigate the relationship between metabolism-related indicators and CKD.

Data were obtained from the 2011 and 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants with hemoglobin glycation index (HGI), weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI), and CKD at baseline, as well as those with incomplete data, were excluded, leaving a cohort of 3,414 participants (aged ≥45 years) who completed follow-up and were included in the longitudinal study. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the longitudinal relationships between baseline HGI and WWI and CKD prevalence.

During the 4-year follow-up period (2012-2015), 303 participants (8.9%) developed new-onset CKD. Results demonstrated a significant association between the HGI and CKD incidence. This positive correlation remained stable after further adjusting for all covariates in Model 3 (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05-1.53). Subgroup analyses confirmed consistent, robust associations between HGI and CKD across subgroups. Threshold effect analysis indicated a stronger association between HGI and CKD risk when population HGI values were < 0.333. Furthermore, no significant association was found between WWI and CKD incidence in this study.

The findings of this study indicate that HGI is significantly positively correlated with the risk of developing CKD. Effective management of HGI levels may help reduce the prevalence of CKD.