Association between the cardiometabolic index and chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

Background Central obesity is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the exact correlation between the cardiometabolic index (CMI), an indicator of central obesity, and CKD remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between the CMI and CKD in the general American population. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 64,313 members of the general population (≥ 20 years of age) with data in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2020. The individuals were grouped into three categories by CMI tertile: T1 group (n = 7,029), T2 group (n = 7,356), and T3 group (n = 7,380). Logistic regression analysis was performed, with NHANES recommended weights, to assess the association between the CMI and CKD. Results A total of 21,765 participants were included; the overall prevalence of CKD was 12.2%. From the low to the high CMI tertile, the prevalence of CKD increased from 8.9% to 16.0% (P < 0.001). After full adjustment for confounders, the higher tertile of CMI (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03 − 1.13, P = 0.002) had the higher risk of CKD. Compared with the T1 group, the groups with higher CMI levels had a higher CKD risk (T2: OR: 1.01, 95%CI: 0.87–1.18, P = 0.812; T3: OR: 1.22, 95%CI: 1.05–1.43, P = 0.013). Conclusions Higher CMI was independently associated with higher CKD risk in the general population.