Physical activity also protects against kidney disease

Increasing daily doses of physical activity also protects against chronic kidney disease. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that those who exercise more, for example, run a few times a week or walk for an hour a day, have a 9% less chance of developing kidney disease than to those who are sedentary.

The kidneys are very important organs, not only for their filtering action, but also because they produce different hormones that serve to regulate the growth of red blood cells and the balance of blood pressure. Over 800 million people worldwide suffer from kidney disease and those who suffer from it tend to have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Previous studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but it was not yet clear whether it could also help prevent kidney problems.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong followed nearly 200,000 adults for up to 18 years and, among them, around 11,000 developed chronic kidney disease. The team found that people with low levels of physical activity, that is, who walked 15 minutes a day, were 7% less likely than sedentary people to develop kidney dysfunction. And the benefit grew with increasing dose: those who performed high levels, that is, walked a little over an hour every day or ran at least 2 hours a week, had a 9% less chance. "The results show that regular exercise can mitigate age-related deterioration in kidney function and the risk of chronic kidney disease," said study co-author Xiang Qian Lao.