According to new research, higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk for diabetic nephropathy.

The study included around 4000 East Asians with type 2 diabetes and using genetic analysis, it revealed that higher BMI was tied to both an increased risk for diabetic nephropathy and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), more so among women.

The investigators made use of BMI-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic markers and explored the causal role of BMI in diabetic nephropathy and kidney traits among 3972 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Each standard deviation rise in BMI was found to have a causal association with a significant increase in diabetic nephropathy (odds ratio [OR] 3.76) and reduction in eGFR (OR 0.71). The causal link of BMI with diabetic nephropathy appeared to be greater among women (OR, 14.81) compared to men (OR, 3.48). The study is published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism… (Medscape)