Screening and prevention of chronic kidney disease

The burden of kidney disease is disproportionately high in African Americans, and the condition often remains undiagnosed until late-stage disease. In order to reduce this burden, strategies must be implemented to improve the detection of kidney disease, and preventative measures must be targeted at those at greatest risk of disease. Important risk factors among African Americans in the US include hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. In this review, we discuss screening strategies that will allow earlier detection of kidney disease. The sensitivity of serum creatinine, proteinuria, and microalbuminuria as markers of disease are discussed, as is the importance of calculating glomerular filtration rates in individual patients. Implementation of community-based programs, such as the Kidney Early Evaluation Program developed by the National Kidney Foundation, can offer screening for kidney disease and its risk factors, and can educate and protect African Americans at risk of this prevalent disease.