Alcohol and Exercise Affect Declining Kidney Function

We are able to make assumptions of cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome risks based on the lifestyles led by the individual; however, there has not been any long-term studies to suggest that certain lifestyles can result in increased risk for incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). 7,473 healthy individuals were enrolled into this study that took data on alcohol consumption, exercise frequency, and sleep duration. These individuals were tracked over the course of 3, 6, and 9 year intervals.

The study concluded: “Small amount of alcohol consumed and high exercise frequency were associated with the increased risk of loss of kidney function in the male groups. These findings suggest that, regardless of obesity, alcohol consumption and exercise may affect loss of kidney function in healthy males.” Sleep patterns showed to have no correlation to CKD.

It was interesting to see that these results applied to men but not women. It is believed that estrogen prevents CKD progression by lowering the cardiovascular stress response to adrenergic stimuli. Alcohol has also been shown to increase estrogen in women while decreasing testosterone. These findings have suggested that alcohol consumption may modify the effect of sex hormones on the loss of kidney function.

While some of us may believe that regular alcohol consumption of any amount can be offset by a healthy diet and regular exercise, this study has shown that is incorrect. Through my time as a collegiate athlete, many of my teammates believed that they were somehow immune to diseases such as CKD because of their healthy diets and exercise habits. This false belief can prove to be detrimental to anyone who believes that alcohol consumption is somehow offset by living a healthy lifestyle outside of that consumption.

Kanda, E., Muneyuki, T., Suwa, K., & Nakajima, K. (2015). Alcohol and Exercise Affect Declining Kidney Function in Healthy Males Regardless of Obesity: A Prospective Cohort Study. Plos ONE, 10(8), 1-11. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134937

Abstract available here:

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=5657cb0b-04fc-4365-af3e-40a64856d89c%40sessionmgr4001&vid=0&hid=4214&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=108686606&db=aph