Association between lifestyle, gender and risk for developing end-stage renal failure in IgA nephropathy: a case-control study within 10 years

Purpose: To investigate the potential association between lifestyles, including cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical exercise at the time of biopsy and the risk for developing end-stage renal failure (ESRF) among IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients within 10 years. Methods: A case–control study was carried out. Seventy-seven ESRF patients with the primary cause of IgAN were enrolled as cases. Seventy-seven IgAN patients who had not progressed to ESRF after being diagnosed for over 10 years served as controls. Smoking, alcohol consumption and physical exercise related data and baseline clinical features were collected from their medical records and confirmed by phone calls. Results: The case group had higher proportions of males, smokers, drinkers, and physical inactivity individuals than the controls had. Alcohol drinking history (/1 year, OR 1.32, p < .05) is independently associated with an increased risk of ESRF, while physical exercise habits (OR 0.06, p < .05) associated with a decreased risk of ESRF in multivariate logistic analysis. Male gender, lower eGFR, and higher urinary protein at the time of biopsy were also independent risk factors. Moreover, male-non-exercise population seems to be more likely to progress to ESRF than others (male-exercise, female-exercise, and female-none-exercise populations). Conclusion: Physical exercise should be encouraged in IgAN patients, especially in males, for a better renal outcome. Alcohol cessation might have a renal survival benefit in IgAN patients.