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ABSTRACT
The increased incidence of obesity worldwide has made it a major health problem. A number of researchers have reported a strong relationship between obesity and chronic kidney disease. The present study investigated the variation in the concentration of electrolytes in young obese female students of the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Sixty (60) apparently healthy female subjects aged 18 - 25 years were recruited for this study. Thirty normal-weight subjects served as control and 30 obese females served as the experimental/test group. Obesity for this study was recognized as BMI ≥ 30 kgm/m2. The concentrations of electrolytes were determined in serum obtained from subject blood using biochemical analyzer. The results showed that the body mass index (BMI) of subjects in the test group were within the obesity range when compared with those of the control group (p < 0.05). There were significant increases in the concentrations of sodium and potassium ions in the test group when compared with the control group, but chloride ion was markedly reduced in the test group, relative to control (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant change in bicarbonate ion concentration between the two groups (p > 0.05). The results of this study show that obese female students of the University of Benin are at high risk for renal damage.
