Population-Based eGFR Charts Help Identify, Prevent CKD

FRIDAY, Jan. 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Population-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) charts may be beneficial for early identification and prevention of chronic kidney disease, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in Kidney International.Yuanhang Yang, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues conducted a population-based observational cohort study involving 1,179,501 unique adults aged 40 to 100 years with 6,914,993 repeated annual eGFR measurements. The associations between eGFR percentiles and risks for kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT) and death were assessed.The researchers found that the median eGFR was lower at older ages, varying from 104 to 106 mL/min/1.73 m2 at age 40 years (men and women, respectively) to 45 to 50 mL/min/1.73 m2 at age 100 years. A minimal impact on eGFR distributions was seen with exclusion of individuals with selected comorbid conditions or adjustment for the nontested population. There was a significant association seen for eGFR percentiles below the 25th percentile with an increased risk for KFRT compared with the central percentiles (47.5th to 52.5th percentiles); increased mortality was seen in association with both low and high eGFR percentiles. Across age groups, the associations were consistent. Only 24 percent of the 421,547 individuals with eGFR of 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or more who were below the 25th percentile underwent albuminuria/proteinuria testing in the adjacent year."Consider a 55-year-old woman with an eGFR of 80. Most clinicians would not react to such a seemingly normal value," Juan Jesús Carrero, Ph.D., also from the Karolinska Institutet, said in a statement. "However, our charts show that this corresponds to the 10th percentile for women of that age, and that she has a threefold higher risk of starting dialysis in the future. This signals an opportunity to act earlier."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Population-Based eGFR Charts Help Identify, Prevent CKD

Related Stories