[Conservative treatment of chronic renal insufficiency in the aged patient]

Patients over 70 years old constitute a large percentage of those with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) (27% in our series). Vascular renal lesions appear to represent a predominant etiology in this age range that is equally remarkable for this multiplicity of potential etiologies and associated pathologies. The prognostic severity of CRI aggravated by hypovolemia or by the toxicity of prescribed drugs calls for great carefulness in prescribing diets and drugs for the elderly. It is hard to say whether an effective nephro-protection can be obtained through a hypoprotein diet supplemented with ketoanalogs, a diet very acceptable from a nutritional standpoint. On the other hand, the corrective effect of this diet upon certain metabolic abnormalities that occur during CRI seems to be undeniable.