According to a new study published in the British Journal of General Practice, 8 per cent of individuals aged ≥60 years in the UK had undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 44 per cent of individuals living with CKD would have remained undiagnosed without screening.
The Oxford Renal Longitudinal Cohort Study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study of a UK primary care population aged ≥60 years.
The estimated prevalence of CKD stages I-V in individuals aged ≥60 years was 18.2 per cent (95% CI, 16.9-19.6) and 8 per cent of this population had CKD which was previously undiagnosed. The prevalence of CKD stages I-III in individuals aged ≥60 years was 13.9 per cent. Among those with confirmed CKD, 44.0 per cent received a diagnosis through screening. A greater number of individuals in the 60-75 years age group had a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, whereas more individuals in the ≥80 years age group had a reduced eGFR using the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration equation.
"The early stages of CKD (stages 1–3b) may be under-reported in the literature as many people are unaware that they have the condition," the authors said.
