Commentary
The association of NAFLD and CKD has been established before. The aim of this large-scale database study was to investigate the role of NAFLD on emerging CKD, the emergence of end-stage renal disease and the identification of additional risk factors which may increase the risk for CKD in Germany.
The database covering 7.49 million cases in Germany was explored for patients diagnosed with NAFLD between 2000 and 2015 and was matched 1:1 to a cohort without NAFLD.
This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting an independent association of NAFLD with emerging CKD. The strongest association was found in middle- aged patients. Therefore, patients with NAFLD should be monitored for a change in kidney function, facilitating therapeutic measures for kidney disease at an early stage.
