AIIMS study ties metabolic health to accumulation of fat around kidneys

A recent study conducted at AIIMS has revealed a critical connection between obesity, metabolic health, and excess fat accumulation around the kidneys. Among obese individuals, a significant percentage were found to have extra fat around their kidneys, a finding that could potentially increase their risk for kidney and cardiovascular complications.

Moreover, the research highlights the possibility of detecting early kidney damage through certain blood or urine biomarkers before conventional tests can identify such issues. The study, which involved 44 obese patients admitted to AIIMS, found that 77 percent of metabolically unhealthy participants had greater amounts of renal sinus fat compared to 55 percent of metabolically healthy individuals.

Dr Amandeep Singh, the study's lead researcher, emphasized that metabolic health may play a more crucial role than body weight in the accumulation of kidney fat. He explained that metabolically unhealthy individuals, even if not obese, could have significantly higher levels of kidney fat. The study also found that kidney fat was lowest in metabolically healthy non-obese participants, suggesting that the severity of a person's metabolic health may be a better indicator of kidney fat accumulation than their weight alone.

Researchers noted that the relationship between obesity and kidney fat is complex, with obesity potentially causing kidney stress even in non-diabetic individuals. Dr Singh emphasized that doctors should consider both a patient's weight and metabolic health when assessing kidney health risks.