UCSF

While South Asians have high rates of obesity and kidney disease, little is known about the effect of regional body composition on kidney function. We investigated the association between body composition measures and cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcysC) in 150 immigrant South Asians. The inverse association between overall adiposity and eGFRcysC was attenuated by C-reactive protein (CRP), while the association of ectopic fat was completely attenuated by metabolic covariates and CRP. In immigrant South Asians, the associations between overall adiposity and ectopic fat with decreased kidney function are largely explained by metabolic alterations and inflammation.