Obesity as an independent risk factor for the development of microalbuminuria

Background: Obesity is one of the important risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. This constellation of risk factors is also associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the prevalence of which has increased despite the availability of interventions to control blood sugar and blood pressure and because albuminuria appears early in the natural history of kidney disease, it's a potential target of primary prevention. Objectives: Obesity is common in adults and likely has a causal role for Kidney disease incidence and progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of obesity defined as per Asia-Pacific guidelines with microalbuminuria which is an early marker of kidney disease in adults. Patients and Methods: Observational study based on 120 obese and 120 healthy individuals between 30-70 years of age. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and body mass index (kg/m²) were measured among healthy and obese individuals at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India. Results: There was a strong association between obesity and microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria was highly prevalent among obese subjects compared to the controls (OR = 15.33, 95% CI: 5.83 to 40.32, P < 0.001) Conclusions: This study supports a significant association between obesity and the presence of microalbuminuria in adults. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity, this association is particularly alarming. A prospective study of the relationship between obesity and early markers of kidney damage in adults is warranted.