Research

Hormonal

Obesity is associated with a significantly increased risk of kidney cancer, with a 5 kg/m2 higher BMI associated with a 25% higher risk of kidney cancers.

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for reducing your risk of kidney cancer. Research shows that for every 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, your risk of kidney cancer increases by about 25%. This risk is driven by hormonal and inflammatory changes associated with excess body fat. Weight management is a key preventive strategy.

StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
In a population-based study of 5.24 million individuals from the UK, a 5 kg/m2 higher BMI was associated with a 25% higher risk of kidney cancers, with 10% of all kidney cancers attributable to excess weight.
Elena Zakharova · Urology & Nephrology Open Access Journal · 2017

Why this rating

Based on large population-based studies, meta-analyses of 221 studies, and global burden of disease analyses.

Source

Obesity and Kidney Disease: Hidden Consequences of the Epidemic

Elena Zakharova · Urology & Nephrology Open Access Journal · 2017

DOI 10.15406/unoaj.2017.04.00127

narrative_review
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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