Association Between Childhood Obesity and Later Life Kidney Disorders: A Systematic Review

J Ren Nutr. 2023 Jul;33(4):520-528. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2023.03.003. Epub 2023 Mar 23.

Abstract

Childhood obesity is considered one of the important risk factors for many long-term morbidities. However, the long-term consequences of childhood obesity on kidney function are largely unknown. In this systematic review, all prospective or retrospective cohort studies and nested case-control articles which investigated association of childhood obesity with later life kidney function were searched via some international databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. After screening 6,843 published articles, 8 prospective cohorts studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. All the included studies were published in the last 10 years. The overall follow-up duration of studies ranged from 8 to 64 years. Out of 8 included studies, 6 reported a statistically significant positive association between higher BMI levels in early life and greater renal disease risk in later life. Evidence from various populations implicates a positive link between obesity in early life and kidney disease in later life.

Keywords: Children and adolescents; Kidney disorders; Obesity.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Humans
  • Kidney
  • Kidney Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Pediatric Obesity* / epidemiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Retrospective Studies