title: Chronic kidney disease requiring healthcare services: a new approach to evaluate epidemiology of renal disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening-based CKD estimates may not provide a sufficient insight into the impact of CKD on the use of healthcare resources in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of "medicalized" CKD, that is, CKD requiring healthcare services, in an outpatient setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective, longitudinal population-based study conducted in a large general practice setting in Southern Italy (Caserta) using a healthcare database. Over 2006-2011, all patients with a CKD diagnosis, either through CKD-related indications of use associated with drug prescriptions or through CKD-related hospital discharge diagnoses/procedures, were identified using this database. The prevalence of "medicalized" CKD in the general population of Caserta was estimated by age, gender, and calendar year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 1,989 (1.3%) patients with a diagnosis of CKD were identified from 2006-2011 in the Caserta general population. The one year prevalence increased from 0.9% in 2006 to 1.6% in 2011, which is much lower compared to previous screening-based studies. The prevalence was slightly higher in males and increased significantly with advancing age (in 2011, 0.2% in ≤44 years old versus 9.2% in >80 years old).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that, in the general population, the prevalence of "medicalized" CKD is lower compared to the screening-based CKD prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trifirò
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9622-169X
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1779-0822
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giorgianni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Ylenia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9549-6111
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ingrasciotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8010-4042
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muscianisi
authors.affiliation: Caserta-1 Local Health Service, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele Ugo
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Tari
authors.affiliation: Caserta-1 Local Health Service, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perrotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Canale
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arcoraci
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina and Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies