Association Between Serum Albumin Levels and Obesity and Risk of Developing Chronic Kidney Disease Using Data from the Korean Multi-Rural Communities Cohort (MRCohort) Population Database

BACKGROUND: The Multi-Rural Communities Cohort (MRCohort) was established as part of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, which identified risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the population between January 2005 and December 2011. This was a prospective study, aimed to investigate the association between serum albumin levels and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) in obese patients using data from the MRCohort population database. MATERIAL/METHODS: For analysis, we selected a total of 9695 people from the MRCohort from 2004 to 2013: 3105 people from Goryeong, 3183 from Yangpyeong, and 3407 from Namwon, without previous history of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, and CKD, or missing values on confounders. As a result, 2300 metabolically healthy participants were studied as a whole, and then by body mass index of >23 kg/m(2). The groups were divided into 4 subgroups by albumin quartiles, and the effects of albumin levels compared to the lowest quartile were studied by Cox proportional hazard analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The results showed that the highest quartile of albumin, compared to the lowest quartile, was a protective factor of CKD development only in the overweight and obese group with adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0.38 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16–0.95, p<0.05). In the normal-weight group, results were insignificant, with adjusted HR=0.54 (95% CI 0.24–1.25, not significant). CONCLUSIONS: Data from the Korean MRCohort population database showed that obesity and increased serum albumin levels were protective factors for the development of CKD.