Surprisingly high untreated kidney failure among adults

JAMA publishes an article today (20th June), showing a surprisingly high rate of untreated kidney failure amongst adults. The study involved nearly 2 million adults in Canada and the rate was considerably higher amongst older adults. The study was researched by Brenda R. Hemmelgarn, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and colleagues whose aim was to determine if age is associated with the likelihood of treated kidney failure (renal replacement therapy: receipt of long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation) or untreated kidney failure, and all-cause mortality. The patients were adults in Alberta, Canada, who had outpatient estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; flow rate of filtered fluid through a kidney) measured between May 2002 and March 2008, with a baseline eGFR of 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 or higher. None of them required renal replacement therapy at the beginning of the study. The researchers looked for rates of treated kidney failure, untreated kidney failure (progression to eGFR