BMI management among kidney patients

Express News Service

Name of study: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and high body mass index (BMI) variability are at an elevated risk of death

By who and where: The Kidney Research Institute at Seoul National University, South Korea

What does it say?

✥ The combination of CKD and a huge variation in BMI can lead to a stroke. It may require kidney replacement. In a worst-case scenario, it may lead to death. 
✥ This combination should be taken very seriously, even more so than obesity or an increased BMI.
✥ Not only the heart, but BMI variability may also affect the prognosis of patients with kidney dysfunction. People must watch out for this.  

For

Watch out 

Dr Subhash Kumar Wangnoo 
Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi 

There have been recent observations in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, particularly those diabetic patients who have been on dialysis, to have shown fluctuating fasting blood sugar and blood pressure. These two are important markers for the development of cardiovascular complications. An abnormal weight gain around the stomach will lead to abdominal adipose tissue, a fat that is the seat of inflammatory cytokines. One must keep fasting blood sugar within the range and maintain an optimal weight. 

Against

Nothing alarming 

Dr Veerabhadra Guptha K Senior Consultant, Nephrology, Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru 

Let’s not talk of extreme cases. Desirable weight gain or loss, under medical supervision, has its advantages. A large portion of the CKD population have uraemia symptoms, which can be improved with dietary counselling. You will be asked to gain or lose weight, depending on what is required for you. This will benefit the patients and improve their treatment outcome. With proper dietary supplementation, they will fare better at keeping their blood sugar levels in check and weight at a stable number.