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Obesity and glomerular filtration rate

  • Nephrology - Review
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Abstract

Obesity has received considerable attention in general medicine and nephrology over the last few years. This condition increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, which are the main risk factors for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kidney damage caused by obesity can be explained by many mechanisms, such as sympathetic nervous and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems activation, mechanical stress, hormonal unbalance, as well as inflammatory cytokines production. Even though creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate (GFR) equations in obese individuals have been validated (Salazar-Corcoran and CKD-MCQ), changes in body weight after bariatric surgery (BS) leads to changes in creatininemia, affecting its reliability. Thus, an average between creatine and cystatin-based GFR equations would be more appropriate in this setting. Bariatric surgery can reverse diabetes mellitus and improve hypertension, which are the main causes of CKD. Conclusion: GFR can be affected by obesity and BS, and its value should be cautiously evaluated in this setting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine Division. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Paula Schwartz & Maria M. Capotondo

  2. Physiology Department, Instituto Universitario del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Miranda Quaintenne & Carlos G. Musso

  3. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Catolica Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Guido M. Musso-Enz

  4. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Barranquilla, Colombia

    Gustavo Aroca-Martinez & Carlos G. Musso

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  1. Paula Schwartz
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  2. Maria M. Capotondo
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  4. Guido M. Musso-Enz
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  6. Carlos G. Musso
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Correspondence to Carlos G. Musso.

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Schwartz, P., Capotondo, M.M., Quaintenne, M. et al. Obesity and glomerular filtration rate. Int Urol Nephrol 56, 1663–1668 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-023-03862-0

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