Prevalence of Kidney Dysfunction and Its Relationship with Components of Metabolic Syndrome in a Hospital Setting

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined by a set of components including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and central obesity. Despite the well-established association between MetS and chronic kidney disease (CKD) whose prevalence is on the increase, significant gap remains in our understanding of the relationship between kidney dysfunction and individual components of MetS, particularly in Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of kidney dysfunction among adults with MetS and to examine the relationship of key components of MetS with kidney dysfunction using a cross-sectional study of randomly selected hospital outpatients with MetS. Kidney function was assessed using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed and statistical significance was set at p < .05. The mean age of the 75 study participants with MetS was 53.33 ± 13.94 years. Females constituted 65.3% and males, 34.7%. The prevalence of kidney dysfunction (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) was 36.0%, with no significant difference between genders. The key components of MetS that significantly correlated with kidney function were blood pressure, serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglyceride. The same components independently predicted kidney function. To conclude, the study highlights the considerable burden of kidney dysfunction among adults with metabolic syndrome in Nigeria. Hypertension and dyslipidemia were the components of metabolic syndrome significantly associated with kidney dysfunction. Screening, early detection and targeted interventions including lifestyle modification and appropriate drug management are crucial to mitigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on kidney health, to improve health outcomes and to reduce CKD burden.