Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31641213›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of obesity (2005)2020

The estimation of GFR and the adjustment for BSA in overweight and obesity: a dreadful combination of two errors.

Marina López-Martínez, Sergio Luis-Lima, Enrique Morales, Maruja Navarro-Díaz, Natalia Negrín-Mena, Tomás Folgueras, Beatriz Escamilla, Sara Estupiñán, Patricia Delgado-Mallén, Domingo Marrero-Miranda and 8 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in International journal of obesity (2005), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed
5.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 80 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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  3. Indexing for body surface area when assessing kidney function.Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2026
    Review
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  7. Measurement, Estimation, and Correlates of the GFR before and after Bariatric Surgery.Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN · 2026
    Article
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  13. New Obesity Guidelines and Implications for CKD.Kidney international reports · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Marina López-MartínezDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
Sergio Luis-LimaDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain.
Enrique MoralesDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5824-6973
Maruja Navarro-DíazDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
Natalia Negrín-MenaDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain.
Tomás FolguerasDepartment of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Beatriz EscamillaDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Sara EstupiñánDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Patricia Delgado-MallénDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Domingo Marrero-MirandaDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Ana González-RinneDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Rosa María Miquel-RodríguezDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Maria Angeles Cobo-CasoDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Laura Díaz-MartínDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain.
Alejandro Jiménez-SosaDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain.
Federico González-RinneDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain.
Armando TorresDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
Esteban PorriniInternal Medicine Department, Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Tenerife, Spain. esteban.l.porrini@gmail.com.
Hospital Universitario de Canarias · ESHospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz · ESHospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol · ESUniversidad de La Laguna · ESResearch Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity is an established risk factor for renal disease and for disease progression. Therefore, an accurate determination of renal function is necessary in this population. Renal function is currently evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by formulas, a procedure with a proven high variability. Moreover, the adjustment of GFR by body surface area (BSA) confounds the evaluation of renal function. However, the error of using estimated GFR adjusted by BSA has not been properly evaluated in overweight and obese subjects.

methodsWe evaluated the error of 56 creatinine- and/or cystatin-C-based equations and the adjustment of GFR by BSA in 944 subjects with overweight or obesity with or without chronic kidney disease (CKD). The error between estimated (eGFR) and measured GFR (mGFR) was evaluated with statistics of agreement: the total deviation index (TDI), the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and the coverage probability (cp).

resultsThe error of eGFR by any equation was common and wide: TDI averaged 55%, meaning that 90% of estimations ranged from -55 to 55% of mGFR. CCC and cp averaged 0.8 and 26, respectively. This error was comparable between creatinine and cystatin-C-based formulas both in obese or overweight subjects. The error of eGFR was larger in formulas that included weight or height. The adjustment of mGFR or eGFR led to a relevant underestimation of renal function, reaching at least 10 mL/min in 25% of the cases.

conclusionsIn overweight and obese patients, formulas failed in reflecting real renal function. In addition, the adjustment for BSA led to a relevant underestimation of GFR. Both errors may have important clinical consequences. Thus, whenever possible, the use of a gold standard method to measure renal function is recommended. Moreover, the sense of indexing for BSA should be re-considered and probably abandoned.

Indexed as

Body Surface AreaKidney Function TestsObesityAgedCreatinineCross-Sectional StudiesCystatin CFemaleGlomerular Filtration RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedOverweightRenal Insufficiency, ChronicCreatinineCST3 protein, humanCystatin C

Identifiers

PMID31641213
OpenAlexW2981916789

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.