Rimonabant as a potential new treatment for an emerging epidemic of obesity-related glomerulopathy?

Obesity and being overweight are risk factors for kidney diseases. The spectrum ranges from glomerulomegaly with or without focal or segmental glomerulosclerosis, to diabetic nephropathy, to carcinoma of the kidney and nephrolithiasis. The first sign of renal injury is microalbuminuria or frank proteinuria, in particular in the presence of hypertension. The occurrence of microalbuminuria and/or chronic kidney insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) is related to the increasing number of components of the metabolic syndrome; that is, central obesity, elevated fasting blood glucose level, hypertriglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and hypertension. Obesity-associated renal disease should be prevented or retarded by weight reduction following lifestyle modification (salt restriction, hypocaloric diet, aerobic exercise) or eventually by antiobesity medication or bariatric surgery. Rimonabant, a new antiobesity medication, showed beneficial potential effect in treating clusters of metabolic syndrome, which may ultimately suggest potential benefit in treating obesity-related glomerulopathy.