Kidney disease in elderly South Africans

Life expectancy is low in many African countries due to several factors including the ongoing HIV epidemic. However, the global increase in life expectancy has translated to more elderly patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The patterns of kidney disease in the elderly have never been described from sub-Saharan Africa.

This study was a retrospective study of 111 elderly patients (age ≥ 60 years) who had a renal biopsy performed at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2009.

The mean age of patients at time of biopsy was 66.3 ± 5.7 years (males: 66.4 ± 5.6; females: 66.3 ± 5.9 years). Primary glomerular diseases were seen in 38.7%, secondary glomerular diseases in 36.0%, tubulointerstitial diseases in 17.1% and diseases classified as miscellaneous in 8.1% of all patients. Nephrotic syndrome was the most common indication for the performance of a renal biopsy (48.6%). Membranous lomerulonephritis (MGN) was the most common type of disease observed (14.4%) and was significantly more frequent in males than in females (p = 0.029). Other common histological diagnoses included diabetes nephropathy (12.6%), chronic glomerulonephritis (5.4%), and lupus nephritis (4.5%). HIV associated nephropathy (HIVAN) was only seen in 1 patient (0.9%).

The patterns of renal disease currently seen in elderly South Africans closely resembles that reported from other countries but is at complete variance with the pattern reported in the general population of South Africa in which HIV plays a significant role.