High Cardiorespiratory Fitness Linked to Lower Risk for CKD

High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels are associated with a reduced risk for CKD, according to a study published in GeroScience. Setor K. Kunutsor, MD, PhD, and colleagues quantified the nature and magnitude of the association between CRF and CKD in a cohort of 2,099 men aged 42-61 with normal kidney function at baseline. Data from repeat measurements of CRF taken 11 years after baseline were used to make correction for within-person variability. During a median follow-up of 25.8 years, 197 CKD events were recorded. For CRF, the age-adjusted regression dilution ratio was 0.59. There was a graded decrease in the risk for CKD with
increasing CRF. Following adjustment for several established and emerging risk factors, the HR for CKD was 0.67 comparing extreme tertiles of CRF. Following correction for within-person variability, the corresponding adjusted HR was 0.51. In a meta-analysis of five cohort studies, including this study, with 32,447 participants and 4,043 cases, the fully adjusted risk ratios for CKD were 0.58 and 0.40 comparing extreme tertiles of baseline and long-term CRF values.