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Obesity in Children with Kidney Disease

  • Renal (D Noone, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

We review the epidemiology, aetiology and consequences of obesity in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Recent Findings

CKD in children has traditionally been associated with failure to thrive. However, with increasing global childhood obesity rates, more children with CKD are now overweight than underweight. Recent large cohort studies have allowed a greater understanding of the role of obesity in cardiovascular morbidity and other adverse outcomes in children with CKD.

Summary

Obesity is common in the paediatric CKD population with a multifactorial aetiology, including exposure to corticosteroids during treatment of glomerular diseases and after transplant and decreased physical activity. Obesity is associated with a number of adverse outcomes including cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of mortality in this group, decline in kidney function and poor graft function post-transplantation. Obesity is an important modifiable risk factor, and further research into interventions targeting obesity in children with CKD is required.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nephrology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Ashlene M. McKay

  2. Department of Nephrology, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia

    Sean E. Kennedy

  3. School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Sean E. Kennedy

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  1. Ashlene M. McKay
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  2. Sean E. Kennedy
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Correspondence to Ashlene M. McKay.

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McKay, A.M., Kennedy, S.E. Obesity in Children with Kidney Disease. Curr Pediatr Rep 9, 104–109 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-021-00255-8

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