Chronic kidney disease prevalence in the general population: heterogeneity and concerns

Zdrojewski et al. present a survey assessing the prevalence of albuminuria and renal dysfunction in a representative sample of the adult Polish population. This survey documents that the prevalence of CKD in this country (5.8% by CKD-EPI and 6.2% by MDRD) is the lowest registered in economically developed countries. On the other hand, a survey in a well-characterized sample of elderly people from the AGES-Rejkjavik cohort shows that in this country as many as 10 elderly individuals out of 25 have a reduced GFR (< 60/ml/min/1.73m2) and that 10 out of 22 have a reduced GFR or albuminuria. Of note, in this survey, the prevalence of hyperparathyroidism, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and acidosis-all typical complications of CKD-is substantially higher among subjects with CKD as compared to those without, supporting the view that CKD in the elderly should not be seen as an innocent alteration.