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. 2024 Aug 14;6(10):100893.
doi: 10.1016/j.xkme.2024.100893. eCollection 2024 Oct.

CKD Prevalence and Incidence in Older Adults Using Estimated GFR With Different Filtration Markers: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Carina M Flaherty  1 , Aditya Surapaneni  1 , Jesse C Seegmiller  2 , Josef Coresh  3 , Morgan E Grams  1 , Shoshana H Ballew  3
Affiliations

CKD Prevalence and Incidence in Older Adults Using Estimated GFR With Different Filtration Markers: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Carina M Flaherty et al. Kidney Med. .

Abstract

Rationale & objective: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to increase with age; however, creatinine may be a less reliable filtration marker in older adults. Few studies have investigated the prevalence and progression of CKD using different filtration markers for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Study design: A prospective observational cohort study.

Setting & participants: 6,393 White and African American participants aged 65-100 years from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) at Visit 5, followed longitudinally at Visits 6 and 7.

Exposure and outcome: The eGFR was estimated either by creatinine (eGFRcr), cystatin C (eGFRcys), creatinine and cystatin C (eGFRcr-cys), or using creatinine, cystatin C, and β-2-microglobulin (eGFRcr-cys-b2m). CKD progression was defined as 30% decline in eGFR at follow-up visits.

Analytical approach: Logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, race and study center, diabetes, blood pressure, body mass index, prevalent cardiovascular disease, and heart failure.

Results: At Visit 5, the mean age in the study population was 75.8 years, and the mean eGFR ranged from 71.2 to 61.2 mL/min/1.73m2 using eGFRcr or eGFRcys, respectively. The proportion with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 was lowest with eGFRcr and highest with eGFRcys for all age groups, and prevalence increased with age for all markers. For example, the prevalence of eGFRcr < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 in ages 70-74 years ranged from 15% to 21% and in ages 85-89 years ranged from 38% to 46% at the different visits. The proportion with a 30% eGFR decline over a mean of 8 years in people who were originally aged 65-69 years ranged from 9% (eGFRcr)-18% (eGFRcys). More people with eGFRcr ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2 were reclassified to < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 when using eGFRcys (33%) compared with eGFRcr-cys (12%) or eGFRcr-cys-b2m (18%). The proportion with 30% eGFR decline was lowest with eGFRcr and highest with eGFRcys, with greater incidence in older age groups for all markers.

Limitations: No direct measurement of GFR. Not all participants survived or attended subsequent follow-up visits.

Conclusions: The prevalence and progression of CKD increase with age, but estimates vary with the filtration marker used. The eGFRcr gave the lowest estimate of CKD at 15% for people aged 65-69 years at Visit 5 while eGFRcys gave the highest estimates of CKD at 26% for that same population.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; aging; creatinine; cystatin C; eGFR.

Plain language summary

The study examines different filtration markers for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) equations in older adults. Filtration markers can be affected by age-varying characteristics like muscle mass, so it is important to investigate potential discrepancies in eGFR with different markers. We evaluated eGFR using creatinine, cystatin C, both, and alongside β-2-microglobulin to determine kidney disease prevalence and progression. The main takeaway from this study is that there is variation in prevalence of kidney disease in older adults depending on what filtration marker is used in estimating GFR. Our study falls in line with international kidney guidelines to measure cystatin C more in clinical care, as we may be missing some older adults with kidney disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of CKD stratified by visit. CKD is defined as either GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 or ACR > 30 mg/g. CKD, chronic kidney disease; eGFRcr; eGFRcreatinine, eGFRcys; eGFRcystatin C, eGFRcr-cys; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C, eGFRcr-cys-b2m; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C-β-2-microglobulin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The eGFR reclassification graph stratified by visit. Red: percent of people in the GFR category according to eGFRcr that are classified as being in a lower GFR category by the other marker. Blue: percent of people in the GFR category according to eGFRcr that are classified as being in a higher GFR category by the other marker. GFR, glomerular filtration rate; eGFRcr; eGFRcreatinine, eGFRcys; eGFRcystatin C, eGFRcr-cys; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C, eGFRcr-cys-b2m; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C-β-2-microglobulin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The eGFR reclassification graph stratified by visit. Red: percent of people in the GFR category according to eGFRcr that are classified as being in a lower GFR category by the other marker. Blue: percent of people in the GFR category according to eGFRcr that are classified as being in a higher GFR category by the other marker. GFR, glomerular filtration rate; eGFRcr; eGFRcreatinine, eGFRcys; eGFRcystatin C, eGFRcr-cys; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C, eGFRcr-cys-b2m; eGFRcreatinine-cystatin C-β-2-microglobulin.
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