Hypertension is a Stronger Risk Factor for CKD and ESRD in Men Than Women

Takeaway

• This meta-analysis found that the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD, defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73m²/year) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD, defined as the initiation of dialysis, renal transplantation or death due to kidney disease) was 23% lower in women with hypertension than in men with hypertension.

Why this matters

• This finding may have important implications for improving risk stratification and preventive strategies of CKD and ESRD in the general population.

Study design

• Meta-analysis of 6 studies including 2,382,712 individuals and 6856 incident CKD events and 833 ESRD events.
• Funding: None disclosed.

Key results

• The relative risk (RR) of CKD or ESRD associated with hypertension (systolic BP [SBP] ≥140 mmHg) vs ideal BP (SBP <120 mmHg) was:
  • 1.56 (95% CI, 1.39-1.75) in women; and
  • 2.06 (95% CI, 1.64-2.60; I², 66.5%) in men.
• The women to men ratio of RR for incident CKD or ESRD was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.63-0.95; I², 17.7%).

Limitations

• Limited number of studies.

This clinical summary originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.