title: [What do we know about chronic kidney disease at the beginning of the 21st century?].
abstract: Data are presented on the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and on the most common causes of the disease, with special reference to data collected at the Registry of Renal Replacement Therapy by Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation in the Republic of Croatia. Emphasis is put on the very high cost of managing patients with end-stage CKD. As currently there is no drug able to halt progression of kidney damage in CKD, attention is focused on early detection of renal disease, screening of CKD patients, specific therapy, slowing down disease progression, and treatment of complications and comorbidities. The role of general practitioners and compliance of patients who have to decide on the mode of renal replacement therapy, as well as of continuous education of nephrologists and public awareness of renal diseases is underlined.
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kes
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009398:Nephrology / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000639:trends*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data