About 37 million U.S. adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and most are undiagnosed.
Left untreated, chronic kidney disease, or CKD, can progress into kidney failure or cardiovascular disease.
One way to lessen the risk of developing the condition might be to get BMI under control as a teenager, a new study has found. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, about 1 in 6 U.S. children ages 10-17 are obese, defined by having a BMI higher than 30.
Researchers led by Gilad Twig from the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research in Israel analyzed nearly 600,000 youths ages 16-20 to explore any relationship between risk of high BMI and early CKD.
The scientists had previously shown a link between higher youth BMI and the need for kidney replacement surgery, Newsweek reported. Their new study revealed a link between high BMI and early chronic kidney disease, even when there was no indication of diabetes.
Although the scientists are still unclear how the biochemical mechanisms work, they said they believe fat tissue can secrete molecules that can inflame the kidneys. In addition, soluble fats can build up in other organs.
Males appeared to be more at risk than females, the researchers found. They said this could be because estrogen protects the kidneys and because the fat distribution between the sexes differs.
The scientists said they hope their study will help parents and teens control BMI before it leads to more serious conditions.
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