Researchers Explore Link between Apple-Shaped Bodies and Kidney Disease

A new study on people with apple bodies has found that there is increased blood pressure around the kidneys when there is a lot of fat around the belly, increasing kidney disease risk in these people.

The study was conducted by researchers from Netherlands who explained why people who have fat concentrated around their waist have higher risk of developing kidney diseases than people who have fat around the hips.

The study was based on data obtained from 315 healthy individuals with an average body mass index of 24.9 kg/m2.  A body mass index that falls between 18.5- 24.9 kg/m2 is considered normal BMI.

Researchers found that higher waist to hip ratio was associated with decreased blood flow in the kidney, higher blood pressure around kidneys and decreased kidney function.

"We found that apple-shaped persons-even if totally healthy and with a normal blood pressure-have an elevated blood pressure in their kidneys. When they are also overweight or obese, this is even worse," said Arjan Kwakernaak, from University Medical Center Groningen, in the Netherlands.

Other research has shown that certain changes to diet like reducing salt can lower the risk of kidney disease.

"Our current data suggest that such interventions could be particularly useful in subjects with a central body fat distribution," said Kwakernaak in a news release. 

The study is published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).