Obesity and the Kidney: Mechanistic Links and Therapeutic Advances

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Endocrinol

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2024 Feb 14

PMID 38351406

Authors

Kevin Yau

Rachel Kuah

David Z I Cherney

Tony K T Lam

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Obesity is strongly associated with the development of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD), but there is evidence for a bidirectional relationship wherein the kidney also acts as a key regulator of body weight. In this Review, we highlight the mechanisms implicated in obesity-related CKD, and outline how the kidney might modulate feeding and body weight through a growth differentiation factor 15-dependent kidney-brain axis. The favourable effects of bariatric surgery on kidney function are discussed, and medical therapies designed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus that lower body weight and preserve kidney function independent of glycaemic lowering, including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, incretin-based therapies and metformin, are also reviewed. In summary, we propose that kidney function and body weight are related in a bidirectional fashion, and that this interrelationship affects human health and disease.

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