Revised: April 18, 2014
Accepted: June 10, 2014
Published online: August 6, 2014
Obesity is an important worldwide challenge that must be faced in most developed and developing countries because of unhealthy nutritional habits. The consequences of obesity and being overweight are observed in different organs, but the kidney is one of the most affected. Excess adipose tissue causes hemodynamic alterations in the kidney that can result in renal disease. However, obesity is also commonly associated with other comorbidities such as chronic inflammation, hypertension and diabetes. This association of several aggravating factors is still a matter of concern in clinical and basic research because the pathophysiologic mechanisms surrounding chronic kidney disease development in obese patients remain unclear. This review will discuss the consequences of obesity in the context of renal injury.
Core tip: Obesity is unquestionably one of the biggest health challenges the modern world will face this century. It has vast effects on systemic function including cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation. All of these factors have a great impact on kidney function, and current data indicate a significant correlation between obesity and kidney disease because of irregular immune activation, altered renal hemodynamics and metabolic mediator signaling. This review focuses on the most recent findings that have begun to elucidate the relationship between obesity and its effect on the kidneys.