Type 1 diabetes: weight loss and kidney disease risk

If you’ve been on a rollercoaster of weight loss and gain, commonly known as yo-yo dieting, you might be surprised to know how big of an impact this body-weight cycling has on your health.

In fact, not only can yo-yo dieting damage your heart, but it also comes with additional health warnings to be wary of, including:

• Increased risk of diabetes
• Higher risk of gallstones
• Poor gut health
• Depression

Now, research is linking one more health danger to body-weight cycling. It’s one that anyone living with type 1 diabetes needs to be aware of…

Weight cycling and kidney disease

The study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism examined six years of body-weight data for more than 1,400 people who participated in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) or the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study.

Type 1 diabetes has long been considered a disease of lean individuals, but, as the authors noted, the prevalence of obesity is rising among those with type 1 diabetes, mirroring the increase in the general population.

The researchers specifically delved into the effect of weight fluctuation on six different criteria for kidney function decline and progression toward chronic kidney disease in this group.

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Here’s what they found…

The scientists determined that people who experienced more significant weight fluctuations suffered from a 40% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which measures how well the kidneys filter toxins from the blood.

Results also showed that those with greater weight fluctuations were more likely to experience moderately to severely increased albuminuria. This occurs when there are abnormally high levels of a protein known as albumin in the urine. Larger amounts occur in the urine of people with kidney disease.

Additionally, according to the researchers, in all of the indices they examined, similar findings of kidney disease were confirmed.

“We showed that high body-weight variability is associated with increased risk of different outcomes of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progressions in people with type 1 diabetes, independently of traditional DKD risk factors,” said lead author Marion Camoin, M.D.

People with Type 1 should focus on the long-term

This is the first study to show a link between yo-yo dieting and kidney events in people with type 1 diabetes, according to the authors.

However, the mechanisms linking body-weight cycling to increased renal risks are still not fully understood.

The researchers hypothesize that insulin therapy, which is necessary to treat type 1 diabetes, is a contributing factor to body-weight cycling. Others have theorized that body-weight cycling leads to added strain on the heart and contributes to kidney and vascular damage.

It may be safest to work on weight loss with an expert in type 1 diabetes. That’s because first and foremost, managing insulin levels is a priority.

According to experts on type 1 diabetes, weight gain can be a common result of managing T1D due to:

• taking too much insulin and eating to match your insulin
• treating multiple hypos daily/weekly
• inactivity due to fear of highs and lows
• over-consumption of calories when trying to eat low carb (these foods are often higher in fat and therefore higher in calories).

To lower the risks of yo-yo dieting and the occurrence of kidney disease, the study authors suggest that “Strategies aimed at weight reduction in people with type 1 diabetes should focus on promoting long-term weight maintenance, as weight stability may have a positive impact on health outcomes.”

Sources:

Yo-yo dieting may significantly increase kidney disease risk in people with type 1 diabetes — EurekAlert!

What Happens to Your Body When You Yo-Yo Diet — WebMD

Consequences of Weight Cycling: An Increase in Disease Risk? — NIH

The Long-Term Effects Of Yo-Yo Dieting — Forbes