Abdominal obesity is a risk factor for dysexecutive function in chronic kidney disease

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the metabolic syndrome and its components on dysexecutive function (DF) in individuals with and without CKD. Among 588 participants aged over 70 from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), we defined DF as performance of 2SDs below the mean on any one test or 1.5SDs below the mean on any two of the following: Block Design, Digit Symbol Coding and the Trail-making Tests A and B. We defined CKD as an eGFR below 60 mL/min/m(2). MetS was defined according to recent guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program. 149 participants had CKD at cross-section, 16.1% of which also showed DF. Of the 439 participants without CKD, 12.3% displayed DF. Abdominal obesity as measured by waist circumference, was an independent risk factor for dysexecutive function in CKD (OR = 14.3, 95%CI = 2.21–91.93, p = 0.005) but not in non-CKD. None of the other MetS components were associated with DF. Results suggested that abdominal obesity, recognized as an integral part of the MetS, is a strong risk factor for DF in individuals with CKD.