Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention Journal of Nephropathology 2251-8363 14 4 2025 10 01 The visceral adiposity index as a predictor of chronic kidney disease; a systematic review and meta-analysis e27643 e27643 10.34172/jnp.2025.27643 EN Amin Dalili https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6695-8551 Mahsa Rezaee https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3094-0874 Fatemeh Hasanzadeh Sablouei https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1673-5197 Sina Salati https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8817-3501 Hossein Amini https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1202-5470 Ehsan Habibi https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6311-1505 Babak Gholamine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7494-988X Mahdi Behi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5574-2181 Asghar Dalili https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9904-6882 Journal Article 10.34172/jnp.2025.27643 2025 04 24 2025 06 27 Introduction: Visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance play significant roles in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objectives: This study aimed to assess the association between the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and CKD using a systematic review and meta-analysis method. Materials and Methods: The sources were searched in the Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, as well as the Google Scholar search engine. Data were analyzed using STATA 14 at a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The results obtained from a combination of 21 observational studies revealed that CKD risk increased with high VAI values in total subjects (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.16), men (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.22), and women (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.32), as well as in cross-sectional (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.17) and cohort (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.29) studies. In addition, high VAI values elevated CKD risk in Taiwan (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.08), Turkey (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.10), China (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.60), Cameroon (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.22), and the USA (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.07). Conclusion: The risk of CKD rose with high VAI values in all participants (12%), with a higher rate in women (22%) than in men (14%). Moreover, the highest and least risks were reported in Taiwanese and USA patients. Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251037963) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1984) websites.