Are Overweight or Obese People at Greater Risk for Kidney Failure?
Kidney failure may be sudden (acute) or chronic. Chronic kidney failure develops when kidney function progressively diminishes over time. When the kidneys of patients with chronic kidney failure no longer function, the patients are said to have end-stage renal disease (ESRD). They are usually treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation. Risk factors for chronic kidney failure and ESRD include diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking. Some research suggests that being overweight or obese may contribute to loss of kidney function. Being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. Whether being overweight or obese increases risk for ESRD, independent of these other common risk factors, is unknown.
