The following is a summary of “Physical fitness is an independent predictor of chronic kidney disease development in apparently healthy individuals,” published in the June 2024 issue of Nephrology by Helper et al.
While the cardiovascular and metabolic benefits of physical activity have been extensively studied, data on the association between physical fitness and progression to kidney disease has been notably scarce.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore how cardiorespiratory fitness influences the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in healthy individuals.
They reviewed 11,579 healthy volunteers who underwent annual health screenings. Participants had initial eGFRs above 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, no kidney disease, hematuria, proteinuria, diabetes, or heart issues. Each completed a maximal exercise test and was categorized by age and gender into low and high cardiorespiratory fitness groups. The primary endpoint was the development of CKD, defined as eGFR below 45 ml/min/1.73 m2 during follow-up.
The results showed that during a median follow-up of 7.6 years, with participants averaging 50 ± 8 years old. The baseline creatinine and eGFR were 1.02 mg/dl and 81 ml/min/1.73 m2. During follow-up, 81 (0.6%) developed CKD. Those in the low-fitness group had a significantly higher risk (HR=2.41, P=0.001). The risk remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, baseline creatinine, and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Investigators concluded that higher cardiorespiratory fitness independently lowered the risk of developing CKD.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40620-024-01966-z
