Weight loss prevents further kidney damage

Shedding some excess weight through diet, exercise or surgery may help obese adults with kidney disease ward off further decline in kidney function.

The kidneys filter waste products from the blood and excrete them in the urine. When damaged, their ability to perform these vital functions is reduced. Excess weight puts individuals at an increased risk for kidney trouble, heart problems and diabetes. Weight loss has been shown to improve control of diabetes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce the effects of heart disease.

To see if losing weight might also help protect the kidneys, researchers from United States pooled data from 13 studies that examined the impact on kidney function of weight loss achieved through diet, exercise, or surgery.

It was found that in obese adults with kidney disease, losing weight through diet and exercise reduced one hallmark of kidney damage - namely, excess excretion of protein in the urine – called "proteinuria." Non-surgical weight loss also helped reduce blood pressure and prevented further decline of renal function.

In morbidly obese individuals with kidney disease, surgical weight loss normalized a condition named glomerular hyperfiltration and also helped in controlling blood pressure.

The above findings indicate that weight loss helps prevent further damage to kidneys in obese individuals already suffering from some kidney malfunction.