Obesity and obesity-initiated metabolic syndrome: Mechanistic links to chronic kidney disease

There is an epidemic of obesity and the metabolic syndrome in the United States and across the world. Both entities are associated with high mortality, mainly as a result of cardiovascular disease. The epidemic of obesity has been paralleled by an increase in the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Several recent epidemiologic studies have shown that obesity and the metabolic syndrome are independent predictors of CKD. In addition to diabetes and hypertension, several other mechanisms have been postulated to initiate and maintain kidney injury in patients with obesity and the metabolic syndrome. This article reviews the recent epidemiologic data linking obesity and the metabolic syndrome to CKD and summarizes the potential mechanisms of renal injury in this setting, with a focus on the role of inflammation, lipotoxicity, and hemodynamic factors. Potential preventive and therapeutic modalities based on the limited evidence available are discussed.