Leveraging the South African Diabetes Prevention Programme to screen for chronic kidney disease: an observational study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the viability of leveraging an existing screening programme (the South African Diabetes Prevention Programme (SA-DPP)) to screen for chronic kidney disease (CKD), by assessing the yield of CKD cases among those participating in the programme.DesignObservational study conducted between 2017 and 2019.Setting16 resource-poor communities in Cape Town, South Africa.Participants690 participants, aged between 25 and 65 years, identified as at high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by the African Diabetes Risk Score.Primary outcome measureThe prevalence of CKD among those participating in the SA-DPP.ResultsOf the 2173 individuals screened in the community, 690 participants underwent further testing. Of these participants, 9.6% (n=66) and 18.1% (n=125) had screen-detected T2DM and CKD (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of3 mg/mmol), respectively. Of those with CKD, 73.6% (n=92), 17.6% (n=22) and 8.8% (n=11) presented with stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Of the participants with an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), 36.4% had no albuminuria and of those with normal kidney function (eGFR >= 90 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), 10.2% and 3.8% had albuminuria stages 2 and 3, respectively. Of those with T2DM and hypertension, 22.7% and 19.8% had CKD, respectively.ConclusionThe fact that almost one in five participants identified as high risk for T2DM had CKD underscores the value of including markers of kidney function in an existing screening programme. By using an opportunistic approach to screen high-risk individuals, those with CKD can be identified and appropriately treated to reduce disease progression.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the possibility of using the SA-DPP to screen for CKD and found that nearly one in five high-risk participants had CKD. This highlights the importance of including kidney function markers in existing screening programmes.