Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of body weight fluctuations on kidney function deterioration in a prospective cohort of individuals with normal kidney function.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Body weight fluctuations were determined using average successive variability (ASV), which was defined as the average absolute body weight change using repeated measurements for all participants. The decline of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over time was calculated using linear regression analysis of serial eGFR measurements for each patient. Rapid eGFR decline was defined as an average eGFR decline > 3 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year.

Results

A total of 6,790 participants were analyzed. During a median follow-up of 11.7 years, rapid eGFR decline was observed in 913 (13.4%) participants. When the participants were categorized into tertiles according to ASV, rapid eGFR decline was more prevalent in the highest ASV tertile group than in the lowest. Analyses using multiple logistic regression models revealed that the risk of rapid eGFR decline was increased in the highest ASV tertile group compared with the lowest (odds ratio: 1.66).

Conclusions

Body weight fluctuations were significantly associated with an increased risk of rapid kidney function decline in participants with normal kidney function.