Longitudinal measurements of renal function.
Cross-sectional studies have long suggested that renal function declines with age among adults. However, there are limited longitudinal studies with data on within-individual changes in renal function over time. The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging provided some of the first data on within-person changes in renal function over time. In a subsample of this cohort without renal disease, followed up to 23 years, creatinine clearance declined by a mean of -0.75 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year. Interestingly, 35% of individuals in this study did not experience a decline in renal function. Similar findings from longitudinal studies of patients with established chronic kidney disease have been reported. Among 1,094 participants with up to 10 years of follow-up evaluation in the African-American Study of Kidney Disease, the mean annual rates of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate were -2.11 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and -1.50 mL/min/1.73 m(2) during the trial and observational phases, respectively. Of participants with at least 7 years of follow-up evaluation, 33.5% experienced a mean annual decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than -1 mL/min/1.73 m(2). More studies are needed to better define longitudinal changes in renal function. Such data will provide important information for guiding treatment choices for patients, research endeavors, and health policy.
Muntner
Paul
P
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. paul.muntner@mssm.edu
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy