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Last Updated 2/21/10

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is permanent kidney damage due to injury or disease. More than 20 million Americans-one in nine adults-have chronic kidney disease, and most don't even know it. More than 20 million others are at increased risk.

How long you can live with CKD depends on your age, other health problems, and how involved you become in your care. Some people with early CKD never experience kidney failure. Others reach kidney failure (end-stage renal disease (ESRD)) and live for decades with dialysis or kidney transplants.

Simple tests in a doctor's office can detect chronic kidney disease in its early stages when lifestyle changes and medication can be prescribed to delay or prevent the progression of kidney disease and its complications. Left untreated, chronic kidney disease may ultimately lead to kidney failure and/or heart disease.

There are many risk factors that make having CKD more likely, with the leading risk factors being diabetes, hypertension, and a family history of CKD.

Warning: Changes should never be made in a patient's treatment or care based solely on the information found here.  All patients have unique healthcare concerns and considerations and these must all be taken into account before any changes can be safely made.  All medical and therapeutic decisions must come from a qualified health care provider.  Read RenalWEB's Legal Disclaimer before proceeding.

  NEWS and LATEST ARTICLES
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Does Not Have a Clear Role in the Treatment of Poisoning - Free, full-text, Issue-in-Progress article from Nephron Clinical Practice. - February 19, 2010
Experts Create Classification System For Leading Cause Of Kidney Failure - Press release from the American Society of Nephrology. - February 18, 2010
Antihypertensive Combo May Save Kidney Function - Article from Medpage Today. - February 18, 2010
Early Intervention with Erythropoietin Does Not Affect the Outcome of Acute Kidney Injury (the EARLYARF Trial) - Advance online abstract from Kidney International. - February 17, 2010
Prevalence and Risk Factors for CKD in Spouses and Relatives of Hemodialysis Patients - Article in Press abstract from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. - February 16, 2010
Urine Protein Test Might Help Diagnose Kidney Damage from Lupus - Press release from UT Southwestern Medical Center. - February 15, 2010
Physical and Psychological Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease among Older Adults - Issue-in-Progress abstract from American Journal of Nephrology. - February 13, 2010
Diabetic Kidney Disease: Act Now or Pay Later—World Kidney Day, 11 March 2010 - Free, full-text editorial from Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis. - February 12, 2010
Behind the Numbers: ESRD and Dialysis - Statistics from Book of Odds. - February 12, 2010
Age and Comorbidity May Explain the Paradoxical Association of an Early Dialysis Start with Poor Survival - Advance online abstract from Kidney International. - February 10, 2010
USRDS 2009 Researcher's Guide Now Available - Resource from the United States Renal Data System.
ASN 2009 USRDS: Presentations, Talks, and Posters - 17 links to data presented at the 2009 ASN Annual Meeting.
Relation Between Kidney Function, Proteinuria, and Adverse Outcomes - Abstract, press release, and patient page from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Articles from HealthDay and MedPage Today. - February 3, 2010
Association between Rosiglitazone Use and Decline in Renal Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Article in Press abstract from the Journal of Nephrology. - February 2, 2010
Hospital-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury in the Elderly - Free, full-text, advance online review article from Nature Reviews Nephrology. - February 2, 2010
Acetaminophen Prevents Kidney Damage from Crush Injuries - Article from Reuters and press release from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. - February 1, 2010
Trends in Patient Characteristics and First-Year Medical Costs of Older Incident Hemodialysis Patients, 1995-2005 - Article in Press abstract from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. - February 1, 2010
Risks of Kidney Failure Associated With Consumption of Herbal Products Containing Mu Tong or Fangchi: A Population-Based Case-Control Study - Article in Press abstract from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Related article from MedPage Today. - February 1, 2010
Pediatrics: Blood Pressure Target for Renoprotection in Children - Free, full-text article from Nature Reviews Nephrology. - February 2010
Chronic Lithium Treatment and Renal Failure - Free, full-text article from Kidney International. - February 1, 2010
Silent Strokes Linked to Kidney Failure in Patients With Diabetes - Press release and JASN Express abstract from the American Society of Nephrology. Article from MedPage Today. - January 28, 2010
Even Mild Kidney Disease Deteriorates a Child's Quality of Life - Press release from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. - January 28, 2010
Transitioning out of Childhood for Young People with CKD - KidneyTalk™ podcast from Renal Support Network. - January 26, 2010
New Approach for Lupus-Type Kidney Disease - Article from UPI.com. - January 26, 2010
Treating Crush Syndrome in Haiti With Lifesaving Dialysis - Article from Doctors Without Borders. This Jan.27th update says they now have seven working dialysis machines and have carried out dialysis for 54 patients. - January 25, 2010
Research at UCSB Points to Potential Treatment for Polycystic Kidney Disease - Press release from University of California, - Santa Barbara. - January 25, 2010

The '30-20-10' Rule for Renal Care - Article from Renal and Urology News. A summary: - January 22, 2010

  • When the eGFR is at or below 30 cc/min, the patient should be evaluated by a nephrologist
  • When the eGFR falls below 20 cc/min, the patient should make an informed decision about the modality of treatment. If the choice is HD, the patient should be referred for an AV fistula
  • By the time the eGFR falls below 10 cc/min (or 15 cc/min in patients with diabetes), the patient should have a mature access and be ready for the initiation of dialysis therapy
Obesity Tied to Common Kidney Cancer - Article from HealthDay News. - January 22, 2010
Big Benefits From Eating Less Salt Include Saving 92,000 US Lives per Year - Articles from The New York Times and MedPage Today. - January 20, 2010
Very Low Levels of Lead Harm Kids' Kidneys: Study - News release and abstract from the Archives of Internal Medicine. Article from HealthDay. - January 11, 2010
 
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  WEB RESOURCES
Latest Scientific Journal Articles on Chronic Kidney Disease - list compiled by RenalWEB's Journal Watch
AAKP Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) web site
About Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) from The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Learning System (KLS) web site
American Diabetes Association web site
Anemia and Chronic Kidney Disease (pdf) from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
Anemia: Mobilizing Resources for Positive Outcomes (pdf) from the Kidney Learning System web site
Are You At Risk for Kidney Disease? from the American Kidney Fund web site
Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) Clinical and Genetic Resource from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease Core Center
Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) : The Basics slide show from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease Core Center
Chronic Kidney Disease and Renal Replacement Therapy in ARPKD slide show from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease Core Center
Barriers to successful care for chronic kidney disease (pdf) from BMC Nephrology - October 27, 2005
Better Chronic Disease Care program from California Healthcare Foundation
Choosing the Right Treatment from Fresenius Medical Care/UltraCare web site
Chronic Kidney Disease from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) web site
Chronic Kidney Disease from the Hypertension, Dialysis, & Clinical Nephrology (HDCN) web site
Chronic Kidney Disease from the American Kidney Fund web site
Common Questions from the American Kidney Fund web site
Education and Teaching Resources from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Renal Unit web site
2008 ESRD Briefing Book for State and Federal Policy Makers (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) - from the ANNA web site
5-Minute Educational/Entertainment Film from Renal Support Network - video from the Renal Support Network/YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions About GFR Estimates - from The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Learning System (KLS) web site
Hyperphosphatemia and Chronic Kidney Disease - from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
IgA nephropathy from the About web site
KEY - Kidney Education and You - free kidney education classes from the DaVita web site
Kidney disease from the InteliHealth web site for general health information (subsidiary of Aetna U.S. Healthcare)
Kidney Diseases from the National Institute of Health web site
Kidney Diseases Dictionary from the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) web site
Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
Kidney Health Library from the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America (KUFA) web site
Kidney Health Podcast Series from the American Kidney Fund (AKF) web site
Kidney Learning System (KLS)™ from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
Life Options Rehabilitation Program Introduction to Chronic Kidney Disease
Living Well with Chronic Kidney Disease (pdf) from the American Kidney Fund (AKF) web site
Medicare for Children with Chronic Kidney Disease from the Medicare web site
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) web site
National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) web site
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease web site
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Educational Materials from the PKD Foundation web site
Sodium and PKD - article from the PKD Foundation web site
Take Six Steps that Count to Fight Kidney Disease - article from the American Kidney Fund
10 Steps for Protecting Kidney Health from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
Uremic Toxins: What Are They? An Integrated Overview of Pathobiology and Classification from the Journal of Renal Nutrition
What Is Your Kidney Score? from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
What You Can Do from the Life Options web site
When Your Child Has a Chronic Kidney Disease from the Nemours Foundation web site
 
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  ESSENTIALS AND CLASSICS
CE Program - Chronic Kidney Disease - What Every Nurse Should Know from the ANNA web site
Core Curriculum: Chronic Kidney Disease - full-text article from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases - January 2007
CE Program - Chronic Kidney Disease - Nursing Guidelines for Patient Education from the ANNA web site
Chronic Kidney Disease: What Every Nurse Should Know - Module 1: Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease - Hemodialysis in the Long Term Care Setting from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
Chronic Kidney Disease: What Every Nurse Should Know - Module 2: Stage 3 & 4 CKD from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
Chronic Kidney Disease: What Every Nurse Should Know - Module 3: Stage 1 & 2 CKD from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
Chronic Kidney Disease: What Every Nurse Should Know - Module 6: Chronic Kidney Disease - The Post Transplant Patient from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
Chronic Kidney Disease: What Every Nurse Should Know - Module 7: Chronic Kidney Disease - Nursing Guidelines for Patient Education from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
The Well-Controlled Patient: Looking Beyond the Lab Tests from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
Indicators for Chronic Disease Surveillance (pdf) - article from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - September 10, 2004
Risk Factors for CKD from the Life Options web site
10 Symptoms of Kidney Disease from the Life Options web site
Frequently Asked Questions about CKD from the Life Options web site
Learn the Six Warning Signs of Kidney and Urinary Tract Disease from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site
 
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  BEST CLINICAL PRACTICES
National Service Framework for Renal Services - Part Two: Chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure and end of life care - from the Department of Health (DH)
The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) is designed to identify those at risk for kidney disease - from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
Chronic Kidney Disease: Developing a Clinical Action Plan from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
Guidelines for Managing Kidney Disease from the Canadian Medical Association
Testing for Chronic Kidney Disease: A Position Statement From the National Kidney Foundation - full-text article from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases - August 2007
A Team Approach to Managing Bone Disease in CKD Stage 5 (pdf) from the National Kidney Foundation web site
Healthy People 2010 - National Institute of Health (NIH) guidelines for managing Chronic Kidney Disease
Clinical Practice Guidebook for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease from the Japanese Society of Nephrology - June 2009
Elevated levels of serum creatinine: recommendations for management and referral - from the Canadian Medical Association - 1999
 
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  K/DOQI™ -  Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative
K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease: Evaluation, Classification, and Stratification
K/DOQI Chronic Kidney Disease Executive Summary
K/DOQI Guidelines: Two clinical guidelines for when to initiate dialysis
Clinical Practice Guidelines and Clinical Practice Recommendations for Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat reader) 
KDIGO Guideline for Hepatitis C in CKD from Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) - August 2008
 

  PUBMED SEARCHES (National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE Database)
Kidney Diseases (General) from MEDLINEplus Health Information
chronic kidney disease Continually Updated!
chronic kidney disease AND risk factors Continually Updated!
MEDLINE / Pubmed Information from the National Library of Medicine
 

  PRODUCTS
 
 

  STATISTICS
2009 USRDS Presentations & Posters, 2009 Researcher's Guide and the 2009 Annual Data Report - from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) web site
Kidney and Urologic Diseases Statistics for the United States from the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) web site
Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease and Associated Risk Factors --- United States, 1999--2004 from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - March 2, 2007
Racial Differences in Trends of End-Stage Renal Disease, by Primary Diagnosis --- United States, 1994--2004 from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - March 23, 2007
US Government Goals: Chronic Kidney Disease Chapter from the Healthy People 2010 Objectives
statehealthfacts.org - your source for state health data
 
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  UPCOMING EVENTS
NKF Health Screening Schedule - The National Kidney Foundation's (NKF) Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) is designed to identify those at risk for kidney disease - scroll down to view multiple screening dates and contact phone numbers.
Kidney Beginnings: Live - The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) FREE educational program that educates individuals about the basics of kidney disease and proper kidney care.
 
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  RELATED TOPICS
Dialysis Outcomes and Topics from the RenalWEB web site Continually Updated!
 
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  INPUT / SUGGESTIONS
E-mail to RenalWEB on the Chronic Kidney Disease Page
 
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