Plea for an age-adapted definition of chronic kidney disease

Current criteria for the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults include persistent signs of kidney damage or a Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) below a threshold of 60 ml/min per 1.73 m². This threshold has important caveats because it does not separate kidney disease from kidney aging. The authors - including Kitty Jager - make a strong plea for adapting the current definition of CKD to include age-specific thresholds for GFR. The implications of such an updated definition would be far reaching. Having fewer healthy elderly individuals diagnosed with CKD could help reduce inappropriate care and its associated adverse effects. Global prevalence estimates for CKD would be substantially reduced. Also, using an age-specific threshold for younger persons might lead to earlier identification of CKD onset for such individuals, at a point when progressive kidney damage may still be preventable. CKD: A Call for an Age-Adapted Definition. J Am Soc Nephrol 10 September 2019, Epub ahead of print.