Previous research has highlighted that obesity, low physical activity, and smoking are risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). A recent study published in Obesity has discussed slow pace walking and weight gain as the risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Patients with a slow walking pace and weight gain (each 5kg from baseline) had a 1.48 time and 1.34 times higher risk, respectively, for developing CKD, says Dr Meera, the senior author in this study.

More data is required to confirm the relationship between weight change or physical fitness and risk among nondiabetic adults with Obesity. In this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, adults included had Obesity without baseline CKD or diabetes [Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).] Linear mixed-effects and multistate models were adjusted for demographics, time-varying covariates and comorbidities to examine associations of weight change and slow walking pace (<2 miles/h) with the rate of annual eGFR decline and incident CKD.
Key results of this study are:
This study had 1208 included MESA participants with a median BMI of 33.0 kg/m2.
Out of these participants, 15% developed CKD.
There was an association between slow walking pace and eGFR decline and CKD risk with aHR 1.48.
Weight gain increased CKD risk with aHR 1.34.
There was no significant interaction by baseline hypertension status.
The slow walking pace and weight gain were associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults with Obesity, they said.
"Weight gain can cause direct strain on kidney function and increase risks of hypertension and diabetes, which are leading causes of chronic kidney disease,” says lead study author Meera Nair Harhay, MD, MPH, a professor at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia and nephrologist at the University of Pennsylvania Transplant Institute.
This study suggests that maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in regular physical activity may help reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Reference:
Harhay, M. N., Kim, Y., Moore, K., Harhay, M. O., Katz, R., Shlipak, M. G., & Mattix-Kramer, H. (2023). Modifiable kidney disease risk factors among nondiabetic adults with Obesity from the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Obesity. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23883