A population-based study on the prevalence and incidence of chronic kidney disease in the Netherlands

Because most population-based studies on the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are cross-sectional, there is, except for end-stage renal disease, hardly any information on incidence rates.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a dynamic population, using data of 784,563 adult participants retrieved from the Integrated Primary Care Information database, a primary care database containing the complete electronic longitudinal medical records. CKD (both incidence and prevalence) was based on (1) an increased urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, (2) a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate, or (3) explicit statement in the medical record. Results were stratified by age according to the WHO standard population, sex, and diabetes mellitus.

Based on a single measurement only, the incidence rate of CKD in adults was 1,213 per 100,000 person-years, and 6.7 percent of the adult population had a prevalent diagnosis of CKD. The incidence rate increased by age and was the highest in participants with diabetes with an incidence of 25,000 per 100,000 person-years, affecting over 75 percent of participants with diabetes.

This is the first study to report the incidence rates of all stages of CKD for the entire adult population, stratified by sex, 5-year age groups, and diabetes. Our data demonstrate that the incidence of CKD increases with age and is the highest in participants with diabetes mellitus.