Case report

Does treating obesity stabilize chronic kidney disease?

Sujata Agnani^1* , Vidula T Vachharajani^1* , Rohit Gupta^1* , Naveen K Atray^1,2* and Tushar J Vachharajani^1,2

¹  Department of Medicine and Nephrology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

²  Department of Nephrology, Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

BMC Nephrology 2005, 6:7doi:10.1186/1471-2369-6-7

Published:	15 June 2005

Abstract

Background

Obesity is a growing health issue in the Western world. Obesity, as part of the metabolic syndrome adds to the morbidity and mortality. The incidence of diabetes and hypertension, two primary etiological factors for chronic renal failure, is significantly higher with obesity. We report a case with morbid obesity whose renal function was stabilized with aggressive management of his obesity.

Case report

A 43-year old morbidly obese Caucasian male was referred for evaluation of his chronic renal failure. He had been hypertensive with well controlled blood pressure with a body mass index of 46 and a baseline serum creatinine of 4.3 mg/dl (estimated glomerular filtration rate of 16 ml/min). He had failed all conservative attempts at weight reduction and hence was referred for a gastric by-pass surgery. Following the bariatric surgery he had approximately 90 lbs. weight loss over 8-months and his serum creatinine stabilized to 4.0 mg/dl.

Conclusion

Obesity appears to be an independent risk factor for renal failure. Targeting obesity is beneficial not only for better control of hypertension and diabetes, but also possibly helps stabilization of chronic kidney failure.