Global Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health concern, contributing to high healthcare costs.
• CKD is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), increasing morbidity and mortality across all stages.
• Accurate global prevalence data for CKD are lacking, despite its often asymptomatic nature in early stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• To analyze CKD prevalence by disease stage, geographical location, gender, and age.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of the CKD burden worldwide.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies on CKD prevalence in general populations.
• Literature searches conducted across 8 databases to identify relevant studies.
• Pooled prevalence data analyzed using a random effects model, including 100 studies with 6,908,440 participants.

Main Results:

• The global mean prevalence of CKD across all 5 stages was estimated at 13.4% (11.7-15.1%).
• The prevalence of advanced CKD (stages 3-5) was 10.6% (9.2-12.2%), with Stage 3 being the most common.
• Prevalence by stage: Stage 1 (3.5%), Stage 2 (3.9%), Stage 3 (7.6%), Stage 4 (0.4%), and Stage 5 (0.1%). Study quality did not significantly alter prevalence estimates.

Conclusions:

• CKD exhibits a high global prevalence, consistently estimated between 11% and 13%.
• Stage 3 CKD represents the majority of cases, highlighting a substantial public health challenge.
• Future research should focus on scalable interventions to delay CKD progression and mitigate associated cardiovascular risks.