Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are individuals experiencing a reduction in kidney function (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73m²) or markers of kidney damage, such as albuminuria, persisting for over three months. The condition is classified via the CGA system, which tracks the cause, GFR category (G1–G5), and albuminuria category (A1–A3), with risk increasing as GFR falls and albuminuria rises.

Globally, an estimated 788 million adults aged 20 and older had CKD in 2023, with the burden primarily driven by type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ageing populations, and obesity. In the United States, approximately 30.5 million people have kidney disease, including 815,000 living with kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant.

Management for these patients focuses on preventing or delaying disease progression and reducing cardiovascular risk. Key interventions include blood pressure and glycemic control, lifestyle modifications, and pharmacological treatments such as SGLT2 inhibitors and renin-angiotensin system blockade.