Inputs by Dr. V Balaraman, Medical Director, NephroPlus Dialysis center at Aysha Hospital, Chennai
Obesity has become a major problem worldwide and some studies state that it will progress by 40% in the next decade. Obesity produces a lot of ill-effects on our body, and along with conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can indirectly affect our organs. The kidneys are sometimes affected by obesity as well, thereby leading to end-stage disease. Fortunately, both obesity and kidney diseases produced due to obesity are highly preventable and thus, measures must be taken to do so. World Kidney Day is observed on 12th March every year and the theme for this year is Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere which aims at Preventing Detection and Equitable Access to Care. Keeping in mind this year’s theme, let’s understand the association of obesity with Kidney diseases
– End-stage kidney disease- Obesity generally implies increased fat deposits in the body. This high body mass index is known to be one of the strongest risk factors for chronic renal disease. This is because obese people have increased metabolic demands, which means that their body requires higher than normal amounts of energy to function. This leads to increased work done by the kidneys as they have to filter higher quantities of blood. This overcompensation increases the pressure in the kidneys, which leads to damage and further causes chronic kidney disease in the long term.
– Kidney stones– An obese person has a higher chance of developing kidney stones, as his urine is of a lower pH, and has increased quantities of substances such as oxalate, uric acid, sodium, and phosphate. Also, certain therapies to control or treat excess body weight; themselves have an increased risk of causing kidney stones. Hence, you should consult a doctor before you try out different dieting options or store-bought products which claim to aid weight loss.
– Kidney cancers and infections– Obesity may increase the chances of you developing kidney cancers, as your body produces higher levels of growth factors. This results in the stimulation of tumor cells which multiply rapidly.
A large study was done which looked at the burden of obesity on cancers and this study concluded that, as much as 17% and 26% of all kidney cancers in men and women respectively, were due to increased body weight. Further, obesity decreases your body’s immunity; thereby you have a higher chance of acquiring infections as well.
The point to note is, that the above-mentioned complications occur in a fraction of obese people. This means that most people with increased body weight usually do not develop a kidney disease; which brings us to a conclusion that, obesity cannot alone produce kidney damage, but if you are suffering from other co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, you will most likely develop kidney disease, in the form of kidney failure, stones or kidney cancers.
Obesity and kidney diseases – Prevention and cure.
The association of obesity with kidney problems has been proved enough, for us to understand that it is better to prevent the two, instead of having to cure the ill-effects of the same. Steps must be taken to keep our body weight within the normal range, our diabetes and blood pressure within control. These three steps will go a long way in maintaining a good, healthy lifestyle. Medications and other advice given by your doctor must be followed religiously so that one need not suffer from any kidney disease.
