Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in Italy: possible therapeutical approaches

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a significant percentage of the Italian population, particularly among the elderly. It is estimated that more than 300 patients per million population (pmp) are diagnosed as having CKD each year, and about 0.8% of Italians are thought to have serum creatinine levels >=1.5 mg/dL. The number of patients being admitted to renal replacement therapies (RRT) has been growing up rapidly in the last decades, leading to 134 patients pmp starting RRT throughout 2000 and to 804 patients pmp on chronic RRT in the same year. As such therapies are very expensive, CKD must be therefore considered as a striking problem also by a socio-economical point of view. As a consequence, any medical intervention being able to halt or at least to slow down the progression of CKD and/or to prevent the development of related complications or comorbidities is of paramount importance. Several therapeutical interventions, including hypertension and proteinuria control, protein restriction, anemia, calcium-phosphate disorders and dyslipidemia correction and smoking cessation, showed to be actually effective in at least partially achieving these objectives. Other emerging therapeutical approaches, although well promising, need further evidence to be definitively included in the management of CKD patients. Particular efforts should be made in order to refer these patients to the nephrologist as early as possible, as it has been widely demonstrated that an early and regular nephrological care leads to decreased morbidity and mortality and also to decreased social costs.