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Large waist circumference may increase risk of death in kidney disease patients

Category: Kidney Diseases

Individuals who have larger waistlines may benefit from kidney testing, as a new study has shown that these individuals may have twice the risk of dying from kidney disease.

The Loyola University researchers who conducted the study began looking into risk factors for kidney disease complications because they were unsure if currently regarded elements actually increase. Body mass index is currently used as the standard measurement of a patient's likelihood of kidney disease complications.

However, after tracking the health of nearly 6,000 kidney disease patients for a period of four years, the researchers found that BMI is actually a poor predictor of mortality risk in these individuals. The only factor that was shown to correlate with death was waist circumference.

The researchers said that their findings could change the way medical professionals assess the health of their kidney disease patients.

"Waist circumference reflects abdominal adiposity [fat] alone and may be a useful measure to determine mortality risk associated with obesity in adults with chronic kidney disease, especially when used in conjunction with BMI," they wrote in their report.