Elderly ‘more likely to die with kidney disease than from it’
Most people over 65 with severe chronic kidney disease are more likely to die from something else, Australian research shows.
This suggests that dialysis, kidney replacement or specialist referral may be unnecessary in many cases for those with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD), says the study’s lead author, nephrologist Professor Matthew Jose.
The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, used linked pathology data to follow up almost 7000 Tasmanians with two recorded eGFR values of between 15mL/min/1.73m2 and 29mL/min/1.73m2, at least 90 days apart.
The researchers found that 39% of 65-74-year-olds died within five years of diagnosis but only 12% had recorded kidney failure (defined as two measurements, at least 90 days apart, of eGFR below 10mL/min/1.73 m2.
