The generation of obese individuals surely knows that it is bad for them to have an excessive body weight. However, they are still unaware of the fact that they are at an increased risk of certain health conditions, including chronic kidney disease (CKD).
These are the findings of a new study conducted by a team of researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The study results, published in the journal PLOS One, reveal how a vast majority of young adults with abdominal obesity does not know whether they are at an increased risk of CKD.
During the study, the team of researchers looked at the data for around 7,000 non-pregnant young adults. Initial analysis found that nearly 11 percent of the obese Mexican Americans had increased levels of protein albumin in their urine, a condition called albuminuria. This was four times the prevalence of albuminuria in normal-weighing Hispanics.
On the other hand, nearly six percent of the blacks and whites had albuminuria. The presence of excessive amount of protein in urine is an indication of high risk of CKD and that the kidney are already not working appropriately.
"Even though chronic kidney disease typically manifests in older people, the disease can start much earlier, but often is not recognized early on," Michal L. Melamed, the lead study author said, according to EurekAlert.
Melamed further said that the risk of developing a CKD can be reduced in young adults by introducing lifestyle changes. Since there are only a limited number of treatment options available for CKD, prevention is the best approach to its management.
Since CKD is known to affect older generation of people, the researchers specifically wanted to look at whether obesity can cause CKD in healthy young adults as well. In addition, the team wanted to look at the factors that increase the risk and the role played by race and ethnicity in in linking CKD to abdominal obesity.
The team discovered that young adults with normal blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and glucose too had albuminuria. This, in turn, confirmed that there is a direct connection between abdominal obesity and albuminuria linked to CKD.
The researchers suggest the doctors look for kidney functioning while examining obese young individual. In addition, the team recommends obesity to be considered as an independent risk factor for CKD.
The following video examine what exactly a chronic kidney disease is: