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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
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Aging and decreased glomerular filtration rate: An elderly population-based study.
Regina C R M Abdulkader1, Emmanuel A Burdmann1, Maria Lúcia Lebrão2
1University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Plos One
|December 21, 2017
Summary
Reduced kidney function (GFR) is common in older adults and often linked to other health issues. This study found decreased GFR was rarely present without underlying diseases or kidney damage in a developing country.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Geriatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Reduced Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) in older adults is often attributed to aging but may indicate underlying kidney disease or comorbidities.
- Assessing GFR prevalence in developing countries is crucial for understanding geriatric health burdens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of decreased GFR (<60 mL/min/1.73m2) in a geriatric population in São Paulo, Brazil.
- To investigate the occurrence of decreased GFR in the absence of simultaneous diseases or kidney damage.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of the Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (SABE) cohort study data.
- Sample included 1,253 individuals aged ≥60 years, representative of São Paulo's elderly population.
- GFR estimated, with decreased GFR defined as <60 mL/min/1.73m2; kidney damage defined by hematuria or proteinuria.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of decreased GFR was 19.3% in the geriatric population.
- Individuals with decreased GFR were older, had lower schooling, and higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney damage.
- Only 0.7% of the total population had GFR <60 mL/min/1.73m2 without comorbidities or kidney damage.
Conclusions:
- Decreased GFR is highly prevalent in the geriatric population of this major developing city.
- Decreased GFR in older adults is rarely an isolated finding, typically co-occurring with chronic comorbidities or kidney damage.
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