Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often diagnosed late, yet new evidence suggests insulin resistance (IR) may predict its onset even in otherwise healthy individuals. A large two-stage study from the Chinese PLA General Hospital, involving over 97,000 health check-up participants, found that lower estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), a marker of IR was consistently linked with higher CKD prevalence and increased risk of new-onset CKD. Over nearly 3 years of follow-up, individuals with higher eGDR had significantly lower CKD incidence, independent of other risk factors.
Mediation analyses highlighted the roles of diabetes, blood pressure, blood glucose, and arterial stiffness as pathways connecting IR to kidney disease. These findings position insulin resistance as a critical upstream target in CKD prevention, underscoring the importance of metabolic health management in routine…
