title: High prevalence of risk factors for chronic kidney disease in Balkan endemic nephropathy foci.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of the most frequent risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the prevalence of urinary abnormalities in adult inhabitants of three Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) villages near Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey consisted of an interview, blood pressure measurement, and urine dipstick test for proteinuria, hematuria, and glycosuria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved 1625 (739 males, aged 51 ± 16 years) subjects: 319 (19.6%) with positive family history for BEN, 585 (36%) with hypertension, 604 (37.2%) above 60 years, 146 (9%) with diabetes, and 566 (34.8%) with none of these risk factors. Proteinuria was present in 6.2-7.1% of the subjects with risk factors for CKD but in 3.4% of those without risk factors. Systolic blood pressure and BEN in brother/sister were found to be significant variables associated with proteinuria, but female gender and history of kidney disease with hematuria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to a family burden for BEN, other risk factors for CKD were highly prevalent in BEN villages of the Bijeljina municipality. The frequency of proteinuria was higher in the at-risk group than in the group without risk factors and increased with the number of risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Foča Medical Faculty, University of East Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Siniša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lukić
authors.forename: Zlatko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Maksimović
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marić
authors.forename: Veljko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marić
authors.forename: Marijana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovačević
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trifunović
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pavlović
authors.forename: Srdjan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mijatović
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marinković
authors.forename: Ljubica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djukanović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001449:Balkan Nephropathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population