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Prevalence and risk factors for CKD in spouses and relatives of hemodialysis patients

Jer-Chia Tsai1, Szu-Chia Chen, Shang-Jyh Hwang

  • 1Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

American Journal of Kidney Diseases : the Official Journal of the National Kidney Foundation
|February 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more common in relatives and spouses of hemodialysis patients. Early screening for CKD is crucial for these groups, especially those with risk factors like hypertension and diabetes.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Public Health
  • Genetics and Epidemiology

Background:

  • Genetic relatives of end-stage renal disease patients exhibit a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • The CKD risk in non-genetic spouses of end-stage renal disease patients remains largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of CKD in spouses of hemodialysis (HD) patients.
  • To compare CKD prevalence in relatives and spouses of HD patients with matched controls.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study enrolled 196 relatives and 95 spouses of 178 HD patients.
  • Two matched counterpart controls were selected for each participant from a community CKD screening program.
  • CKD was defined by albuminuria or low estimated glomerular filtration rate; risk factors included age, hypertension, and diabetes.

Main Results:

  • CKD prevalence was significantly higher in relatives (15.8%) and spouses (41.1%) compared to controls (7.5% and 15.8%, respectively).
  • Independent risk factors for CKD in relatives included age and hypertension; diabetes was a key factor for spouses.
  • Pooled analysis identified relatives, spouses, older age, female sex, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperuricemia as significant CKD risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive CKD screening is essential for both relatives and spouses of HD patients, particularly those with risk factors.
  • The elevated CKD prevalence in spouses suggests shared environmental factors and lifestyle behaviors contribute to kidney disease development.
Abstract

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