Belly Fat May Be Tied to Kidney Damage

So-called "apple-shaped" people who carry more fat around their bellies than their hips may be at higher risk of kidney disease, a new study suggests. The study measured blood flow through the kidneys of 315 men and women in the Netherlands. Those who had higher waist-to-hip ratios, meaning they tended to store more fat around their bellies compared to their thighs, also had higher blood pressure in their kidneys, even if they were not overweight. Over time, elevated blood pressure damages the small vessels in the kidneys and can decrease their ability to siphon waste from the blood. The study found that each one-unit increase in waist-to-hip ratio was linked to a loss of blood flow through the kidney's tiniest filters, the glomeruli, of about 4 milliliters per minute. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_135828.html