Population characteristics and diagnosis rate of chronic kidney disease by eGFR and proteinuria in Japanese clinical practice: an observational database study.

ABSTRACT

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) guidelines recommend early identification and intervention to delay the progression of CKD. The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) heatmap is widely used for risk evaluation in CKD management; however, real-world evidence on clinical characteristics based on the KDIGO heatmap remains limited worldwide including Japan. In order to understand the management of CKD including its diagnostic rates in a Japanese clinical setting on the basis of KDIGO heatmap, we utilized a medical record database that contains estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine protein data. Adult individuals (≥ 18 years) with two eGFR results of < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2, 90-360 days apart, were included. Approximately half of patients (452,996/788,059) had proteinuria test results and 6.9% (54,073) had quantitative results. CKD diagnosis rate in patients without proteinuria data was 5.9%, with a lower rate (2.9%) in stage G2; the corresponding rates with quantitative test results were 43.5% and 31.3%, respectively. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and their prevalence increased as the eGFR and proteinuria stages progressed. This study revealed a low rate of proteinuria assessment, especially using quantitative methods, and diagnosis in individuals with suspected CKD. With emerging treatment options to prevent CKD progression and complication onset, there is a need for early evaluation and diagnosis of CKD.