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. 2026 Feb 9:6:1735217.
doi: 10.3389/fneph.2026.1735217. eCollection 2026.

Chronic kidney disease in hypertensive patients: the urgent need for targeted interventions in Arab countries: a systematic review

Fakhria Al Rashdi  1 , Celine Tabche  2 , Zeenah Atwan  3 , Hamed Al-Qanubi  1 , Samiya Al Khaldi  1 , Nasrin Al-Zadjali  1 , Salman Rawaf  2
Affiliations

Chronic kidney disease in hypertensive patients: the urgent need for targeted interventions in Arab countries: a systematic review

Fakhria Al Rashdi et al. Front Nephrol. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is expected to be the 5th leading cause of years of life lost by 2040. Recently, it emerged as a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, with a high prevalence in Arab countries.

Objective: Assess CKD among hypertensive (HTN) people in Arab Countries through evaluation of the existing literature on CKD prevalence, risk factors, screening programmes and prevention.

Study design: A systematic review till April 2024 following PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy was registered in PROSPERO under the identification code CRD42024486068.

Methods: Databases searched were Medline, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library. Screening was done using Covidence by three independent reviewers.

Results: Out of 63 studies screened, 11 were selected for extraction. The prevalence of CKD was higher among elderly, HTN and diabetic patients, with 38.8% having unrecognised CKD. Nearly 39% of the 400 participants in one study had undiagnosed stages 3-5 CKD. Two studies showed that 55.8% and 75% of identified CKD patients had HTN. Physicians reported suboptimal screening rates, with about 77% relying on the estimated glomerular filtration rate as a diagnostic tool. Risk factors for CKD include old age, HTN, dyslipidaemia, family history of CKD, and obesity. Among physicians, 85% recommended a target blood pressure of ≤130/80, 80% advised smoking cessation, 66% prescribed anti-lipids, and 67% recommended weight loss. All studies support the fact that HTN is a risk factor for CKD.

Conclusion: CKD is an escalating problem in Arab countries, with hypertension as a major risk factor. Many patients remain undiagnosed. A region-specific CKD screening and HTN control programme is urgently needed. The findings are essential for policymakers in strengthening primary care for systematic screening of HTN and CKD.

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024486068.

Keywords: Arab countries; chronic kidney disease; hypertension; prevention; primary care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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