The impact of reclassifying moderate CKD as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent on the number of US adults recommended lipid-lowering treatment

Background: The Third National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP-III) guidelines recommend consideration of lipid-lowering therapy at lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (>= 100 mg/dL [>= 2.59 mmol/L]) for adults with coronary heart disease risk equivalents. Chronic kidney disease is associated with increased coronary heart disease risk but is not included as a risk equivalent in these guidelines. Methods: The impact of including moderate chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m(2) [0.50 to 0.98 mL/s]) as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent on the percentage and number of US adults with chronic kidney disease recommended lipid-lowering therapy was estimated by using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: Of adults with moderate chronic kidney disease, 53.0% had a history of coronary heart disease or a risk equivalent, 24.7% reported a history of myocardial infarction or stroke, 17.7% had diabetes, 9.6% had angina, and 26.9% had a 10-year coronary heart disease risk greater than 20%. Using current ATP-III guidelines, lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for 61.4% of adults with moderate chronic kidney disease. If moderate chronic kidney disease was reclassified as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent, this percentage would increase to 87.7%, representing an increase in number of adults with moderate chronic kidney disease recommended lipid-lowering treatment from 4.5 to 6.5 million adults. Conclusion: This analysis shows that a majority of adults with moderate chronic kidney disease have coronary heart disease or risk equivalents. Nonetheless, a substantially greater proportion of US adults with moderate chronic kidney disease would be recommended lipid-lowering therapy through its reclassification as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent.