Abstract
Physical activity has long been associated with chronic diseases. However, the association between physical activity and renal progression in hypertensive patients remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between the level of physical activity and renal function in hypertensive patients. We analyzed 3543 patients with hypertension. Data on patients’ demographic characteristics, comorbidities, physical activity, and lifestyle characteristics were collected via questionnaires. An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) that was reduced by more than 25% from the baseline eGFR was defined as renal progression. This study divided physical activity into three levels (low, moderate, and high) based on their metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs) levels. The mean age was 63.32 ± 12.29 years. After we adjusted for covariates, renal progression was significantly higher among patients with low levels of physical activity (odds ratio (OR), 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.90)) and moderate levels of physical activity (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.04–1.86) than among patients with high levels of physical activity. We found a significant association between physical activity and renal progression in hypertensive patients, especially in elderly patients and men. Therefore, to reduce the risk of renal progression, we recommend that clinicians should encourage patients to improve their physical activity.
Highlights
Hypertension is a tremendous global public health threat
The patients with renal progression had a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (1016 (94.69%)), diabetes mellitus (573 (53.40%)), stroke (124 (11.56%)), and gout (409 (38.12%)), as well as lower levels of physical activity than those without renal progression
We found that a low level of physical activity and a moderate level of physical activity were associated with an increased risk of renal progression compared with a high level of physical activity
Summary
Hypertension is a tremendous global public health threat. It contributes to the burden of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke, as well as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [1,2]. Hypertension is closely related to renal progression and nondiabetic CKD [3,4]. In Taiwan, the three most common comorbidities among ESRD patients were hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, which were present in 82%, 56.2%, and 49.3%, respectively [6]. Patients with hypertension gradually develop ischemic glomeruli owing to vascular injury [7]. Patients with hypertension may experience a decline in renal function and develop renal dysfunction throughout their lives
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