Association between famine exposure during infancy and childhood and the risk of chronic kidney disease in adulthood

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundFamine exposure in childhood is proven to be associated with multiple chornic disease in adult but has not been studied with chronic kidney disease (CKD).AimsThis study was conducted to identify the relationship between famine exposure during infancy and childhood – specifically, the Chinese famine of 1959–1961 – and the risk of adult‐onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) among Chinese individuals.MethodsThis study included 2937 individuals from the Qingdao Diabetes Prevention Program. They were stratified by birth year into infancy‐exposed (1956–1958), childhood‐exposed (1950–1955) and unexposed (1963–1971) groups. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. CKD was defined as an eGFR of <90 mL/min/1.73 m2.ResultsThe mean eGFR values for the infancy‐exposed and childhood‐exposed groups were 107.23 ± 12.53 and 103.23 ± 12.44 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively, both of which were lower than that of the unexposed group (114.82 ± 13.39 mL/min/1.73 m2; P < 0.05). In the crude model, the odds ratio (OR) for CKD was 2.00 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39–2.88) in the infancy‐exposed group and 2.92 (95% CI: 2.17–3.93) in the childhood‐exposed group. Further adjustments for urban/rural residence, body mass index, age, current smoking, type 2 diabetes, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol did not significantly alter the association between famine exposure and CKD. The corresponding ORs were 1.71 (95% CI: 1.17–2.50) and 2.48 (95% CI: 1.81–3.40) for the infancy‐exposed and childhood‐exposed groups respectively.ConclusionsFamine exposure during infancy and childhood is associated with a long‐term decline in eGFR and an increased adult‐onset CKD risk. Early intervention for high‐risk individuals may mitigate the risk of adult‐onset CKD.