Combination of Risks of BMI and Health-Related Lifestyles on Kidney Function in the Prediabetic Japanese Population: A Prospective Cohort Study

Diabetic overweight patients are more likely to show the progression of kidney damage than the general population. The majority of people in the early stages of kidney damage do not recognize the importance of risk modification, mainly due to the asymptomatic nature of the disease. This study aimed to examine specific risk combinations of lifestyle and BMI regarding the deterioration of kidney function and to explore whether there are gender-based differences among the prediabetic population. Prediabetic participants with normal kidney function were identified via annual health examination from April 2016 to March 2019. The information on health status and lifestyle was collected at enrollment. The study subjects were followed until March 2021 to observe the progression of kidney damage. There were 2241 participants enrolled in this study. Smoking (HR = 3.5, p < 0.001), eating snacks (HR = 3.2, p < 0.001), not engaging in regular exercise (HR = 2.9, p < 0.001), and not having adequate sleep (HR = 3.0, p < 0.001) showed accelerated risks for kidney damage progression among the prediabetic population in males. These lifestyle effects were not observed in females. In conclusion, risk-based modification of lifestyle behavior is important to prevent kidney function damage among the overweight prediabetic population in males.