Screening for renal disease—what can be learned from the Okinawa experience

Nephrology for the people: Presidential Address at the 42nd Regional Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nephrology in Okinawa 2012

The social and economic burdens of dialysis are growing worldwide as the number of patients increases. Dialysis is becoming a heavy burden even in developed countries. Thus, preventing end-stage kidney disease is of the utmost importance. Early detection and treatment is recommended because late referral is common, with most chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients remaining asymptomatic until a late stage. Three-quarters of dialysis patients initiated dialysis therapy within 1 year after referral to the facility. Since its introduction in 2002, the definition of CKD has been widely accepted not only by nephrologists but also by other medical specialties, such as cardiologists and general practitioners. Japan has a long history of general screening for school children, university students, and employees of companies and government offices, with everybody asked to participate. The urine test for proteinuria and hematuria is popular among Japanese people; however, the outcomes have not been well studied. We examined the effects of clinical and laboratory data from several sources on survival of dialysis patients and also predictors of developing dialysis from community-based screening (Okinawa Dialysis Study, OKIDS). At an early CKD stage, patients are usually asymptomatic; therefore, regular health checks using a urine dipstick and serum creatinine are recommended. The intervals for follow-up, however, are debatable due to the cost. CKD is a strong risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and death and also plays an important role in infection and malignancies, particularly in elderly people. People can live longer with healthy kidneys.

Prevalence and risk factors for CKD in spouses and relatives of hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND

A higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been found in genetic relatives of patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the risk of CKD in nongenetic spouses of patients with end-stage renal disease is still unknown.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

196 first- and second-degree relatives and 95 spouses of 178 hemodialysis (HD) patients were enrolled. Two sex- and age-stratified matched counterpart controls were randomly selected from the population of a community screening program for CKD.

PREDICTORS

Relatives or spouses of HD patients and kidney disease risk factors.

OUTCOMES

Prevalence of CKD (albuminuria or low estimated glomerular filtration rate).

MEASUREMENT

Albuminuria (urine albumin-creatinine ratio > or = 30 mg/g), low estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), and kidney disease risk factors of age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and lifestyle.

RESULTS

A significantly higher prevalence of CKD was found in relatives (15.8% vs 7.5%; P = 0.01) and spouses (41.1% vs 15.8%; P < 0.001) of HD patients compared with their counterpart controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR, 1.05) and hypertension (OR, 3.13) were significant independent risk factors for CKD in relatives of HD patients, whereas diabetes mellitus (OR, 3.51) was a significant risk factor for CKD in spouses of HD patients. For all pooled participants, being relatives (OR, 2.55) or spouses (OR, 2.80) of HD patients, age (OR, 1.06), female sex (OR, 1.81), diabetes mellitus (OR, 3.95), hypertension (OR, 1.85), and hyperuricemia (OR, 2.06) were independent significant risk factors for CKD.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional research design, single laboratory measurement, and limited numbers of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive screening program for CKD is equally important in both relatives and spouses of HD patients, especially for participants with the renal risk factors of older age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Spousal concordance of CKD suggests that the shared environmental factors and health behaviors might have important roles in the development of CKD.

Glomerulonephritis and managing the risks of chronic renal disease

The rising global burden of chronic renal disease, the high cost of providing renal replacement therapies, and renal disease also being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is increasing focus on renal disease prevention. This article focuses on the aspects of renal disease (specifically poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis [PSGN] and chronic kidney disease [CKD]) in Indigenous populations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States that diverge from those typically seen in the general population of those countries. The spectrum of renal and many other diseases seen in Indigenous people in developed countries is similar to that seen in developing countries. Diseases like PSGN that have largely disappeared in developed countries still occur frequently in Indigenous people. CKD during the childhood years is due to congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract in up to 70% of cases and occurs later in polycystic kidney disease and childhood-onset diabetes. Several risk factors for CKD in adulthood are already present in childhood.