Study Report: Weight Loss Leads to Healthier Kidneys

According to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN), weight loss may preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease.


The analysis revealed that weight loss achieved through diet and exercise reduces proteinuria. Proteinuria represents excess excretion of protein in the urine which indicates kidney damage. This may prevent additional decline in kidney function in obese patients with kidney disease. Studies also stated that surgical interventions normalize the filtration rate of the kidneys in obese patients with high filtration rates (a risk factor for the development of kidney disease).

While the findings imply that weight reduction may prevent the progression of kidney disease in obese kidney disease patients, the authors noted that there were only a small number of studies available for analysis and additional high-quality long-term studies on this topic are needed.

Source: ScienceDaily news on weight loss and kidneys