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Obesity

Older age and high BMI are associated with increased risk of loss of kidney function

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 11, page 568 (2015)Cite this article

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Several reports have suggested that the effects of obesity might differ between older and younger individuals, but the effect of age on the association of obesity with deterioration of kidney function was previously unknown. Now, research performed by Csaba Kovesdy and colleagues has shown a marked association between high BMI and loss of kidney function in patients aged >40 years.

“These observations have not been previously reported by others,” says Kovesdy. “A potential explanation for our findings might be that a long time is needed for obesity to damage the kidneys (hence a more marked effect among those with the longest exposures), or that the deleterious effects of advanced age and obesity conspire to cause enhanced damage to the kidneys of older individuals.”

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References

  1. Lu, J. L. et al. Association of age and BMI with kidney function and mortality: a cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00128-X

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Authors
  1. Jessica K. Edwards
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Edwards, J. Older age and high BMI are associated with increased risk of loss of kidney function. Nat Rev Nephrol 11, 568 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2015.142

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