Association of Meat Consumption With Kidney Damage, Diabetic Nephropathy

A case-control study by Atieh Mirzababaei and others, published in Scientific Reports, examined the associations between consumption of red, processed, and white meat and the odds of developing kidney damage and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in women. DN is a common and severe complication of diabetes mellitus that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

A total of 210 women were enrolled in the study; 105 had DN and 105 were part of a control group.

The mean (SD) for age, weight, and body mass index of participants was 55.37 ± 7.07 years, 72.49 ± 12.71 kg, and 28.09 ± 4.59 kg/m², respectively. In total, 50% of subjects had a history of nephropathy and 22.4% had a history of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers used a validated food frequency questionnaire to assess consumption of red, processed, and white meat. Biochemical variables and anthropometric measurements were assessed for all patients using predefined protocols, and binary logistic regression was used to examine possible associations.

The study found a direct significant association between high consumption of red meat and processed meats and microalbuminuria, severe albuminuria, BUN levels, and increased odds of DN. Subjects with high white meat consumption had lower odds ratios (ORs) for microalbuminuria, severe albuminuria, and DN.

Red meat was associated with microalbuminuria (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.25-4.22; P=.007), severe albuminuria (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.38-7.46; P=.007), BUN levels (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.10-5.93; P=.02), and DN (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.45-4.42; P=.001). Processed meat was associated with microalbuminuria (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.18-3.95; P=.01), severe albuminuria (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.01-5.49; P=.04), BUN levels (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.04-5.62; P=.03), and DN (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.27-3.85; P=.005).

“The findings of the current case-control study indicated that higher consumption of red meat was associated with increased odds of DN, which aligns with cohort studies conducted in healthy populations,” the researchers noted.

Source: Scientific Reports