Weight loss prevents kidney damage: Study
POSTED September 22, 2009 - 17:17 | POSTED BY Pankhuri Kapoor
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on September 22, 2009 - 17:56
Dr. Sankar Navaneethan and his colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio analyzed 13 studies examining the link between weight loss and kidney function and found that losing weight reduced excessive excretion of ‘Proteinuria’, a protein in the urine which helps in controlling kidney damage.
It may be noted that excessive weight gain increases the risk of kidney damage as accumulation of additional fat interferes with the kidneys’ functioning.
The researchers also found that surgical weight loss normalized the rate at which the kidneys filter waste products in obese adults with unusually elevated filtration rates. This, in turn, helped in warding off the kidney disease.
Millions of Americans obese and suffer from kidney damage; weight loss the solution
Past studies helped the researchers find that more than 20 million Americans are suffering from chronic kidney disease at present. It is estimated that the figure will rise to 27 million by 2015.
Reports also say that more than one third of the American adults are obese and thus they are at a greater risk of being diagnosed with a kidney disease. Weight loss through diet, exercise, or surgery can help them fight a damaged kidney and hoards of other chronic illnesses.
"The health care costs that are associated with this increase are staggering," says Sankar Navaneethan, who is the lead author of this study and also the MD of the Cleveland Clinic.
The researchers have also found that there are chances of developing a more advanced form of kidney disease, known as end-stage renal disease or ESRD, in obese adults.
Need for more research
Though the scientists have found that kidney damage can be prevented through weight loss, they also felt that the data available for analysis was small and that there is a need for more long-term and expert studies to arrive at a valid conclusion.
The researchers are now gearing up for more advanced research to validate their present study, and also find the exact connection between weight loss and kidney damage to help people suffering from any form of kidney disease.
Till then, experts advise that obese people should work on controlling their weight to save themselves from a kidney failure.
The present study and its findings have been published in this month’s issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
