Association between Renal Function and Individual and Combined Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly People in Brazil

Abstract

Background: Current literature highlights that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem and that metabolic syndrome (MS) is a potential risk factor, especially among the elderly population, since aging seems to create metabolic disorders such as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and glycemic decompensation. Despite this, some mechanisms/events of the relationship between kidney damage and MS remain controversial. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association of compromised glomerular filtration rate with metabolic syndrome and its components in a population of Brazilian elderly. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Northeast Brazil with 273 elderly men and women aged between 60 and 93 years. Clinical, sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle data, as well as biochemical, blood pressure, and glomerular filtration rate variables, were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Stata® (Statacorp, College Station, Texas, USA), version 14, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. The research has ethical approval (no. 2,216,538). Results: There was a significant difference between impaired renal function and adequate values of WC (p = 0.044), triglycerides (p = 0.018), LDL-c (p = 0.015), and the presence of more than three components of MS (p = 0.036). High values of triglycerides (PR 1.48; p = 0.025) and LDLc (PR 1.44; p = 0.017) and presence of more than three components of MS (PR 1.45; p = 0.023) increase the chance of kidney damage. Conclusion: The presence of individual and combined components of MS (high triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL-c, and low HDL-c) promotes the impairment of renal function among the elderly studied. It is noteworthy that MS does not represent a significant independent factor to generate losses to GFR.