About CKD

What is CKD?

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is defined as abnormalities of kidney structure or function, present for >3 months, with implications for health.
CKD is classified based on Cause, GFR category (G1–G5), and Albuminuria category (A1–A3), abbreviated as CGA. These 3 components of the classification system are each critical in the assessment of people with CKD and help enable determination of severity and risk.
Markers of kidney damage (one or more)
  • Albuminuria (AER ≥30 mg/g (≥3 mg/mmol))

  • Urine sediment abnormalities

  • Electrolyte and other abnormalities due to tubular disorders

  • Abnormalities detected by histology

  • Structural abnormalities detected by imaging

  • History of kidney transplantation
Decreased GFRGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (GFR categories G3a-G5)
Criteria for chronic kidney disease (CKD) (either of the following present for >3 months). AER, albumin excretion rate; GFR, glomerular filtration rate

Causes

CategoryExamples of systemic diseases affecting the kidney Examples of primary kidney diseases (absence of systemic diseases affecting the kidney)
Glomerular diseases Diabetes, systemic autoimmune diseases, systemic infections, medications, neoplasia (including amyloidosis) Diffuse, focal, or crescentic proliferative GN; focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, minimal change disease
Tubulo-interstitial diseases Systemic infections, autoimmune, sarcoidosis, medications, urate, environmental toxins (lead, aristolochic acid), neoplasia (myeloma) Urinary-tract infections, stones, obstruction, interstitial nephritis
Vascular diseases Atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia, cholesterol emboli, systemic vasculitis, thrombotic microangiopathy, systemic sclerosis ANCA-associated renal limited vasculitis, fibromuscular dysplasia
Cystic and congenital diseases Polycystic kidney disease, Alport syndrome, Fabry disease Renal dysplasia, medullary cystic disease, podocytopathies
GFR categoryGFR (ml/min per 1.73 m2)Terms
G1≥90 Normal or high
G260-89 Mildly decreased
G3a45-59 Mildly to moderately decreased
G3b30-44 Moderately to severely decreased
G415-29 Severely decreased
G5 <15 Kidney failure
Albuminuria Category AER
(mg/24h)
ACR (approx. equ.)(mg/mmol)ACR (approx. equ.)(mg/g)Terms
A1<30<3<30Normal to mildly increased
A230-3003-3030-300Moderately increased
A3>300>30>300Severely increased
Albuminuria CategoryA1A2A3
AER (mg/24h) <3030-300>300
ACR (approx. equ.)(mg/mmol)<33-30>30
ACR (approx. equ.)(mg/g)<3030-300>300
TermsNormal to mildly increasedModerately increasedSeverely increased

Risk Factors in CKD

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Heart (cardiovascular) disease

Smoking

Obesity

Being Black, Native American or Asian American

Family history of kidney disease

Abnormal kidney structure

Older age

Frequent use of medications that can damage the kidneys

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a growing health concern globally, with a high burden of morbidity and mortality.
Globally, in 2017, systematic analysis from the all-age GBD project found 697.5 million cases of all-stage CKD, for a global prevalence of 9.1%

Approximately 1 in 10

The Global Burden of Disease Study reported in 2017 that CKD was the 12th most common cause of death, accounting for 1.23 million deaths worldwide.

The worldwide age-standardised global prevalence of CKD per 100,000 population in 2016

CKD Prevalence in South East Asian Countries 2020

CountriesPrevalence %
Afghanistan14.5
Pakistan14.5
Bangladesh19.8
Bhutan15.4
Cambodia11.2
Laos11.2
Myanmar11.2
India15.7
Indonesia8.6
Philippines11.2
Timor-Leste11.2
Viet Nam8.7
North Korea11.2
Brunei18.2
Malaysia18.2
China14.5
Thailand14.8
Sri Lanka19.4
Maldives17.8
Taiwan22.6
Japan26.5
Singapore33.2
South Korea17.8
Iran13.7
Mongolia7.8
Liyanage T, et al. BMJ Global Health 2022

CKD Prevalence in LATAM countries 2021

LATAM CountriesPrevalence %
Puerto Rico15.39
British Virgin Islands14.14
Cuba11.98
Mexico11.83
Colombia10.73
El Salvador10.67
Panama10.65
Uruguay10.63
Venezuela, RB10.45
Chile9.34
Argentina9.33
Guatemala8.39
Brazil8.20
Dominican Republic8.11
Paraguay7.31
Peru7.14
Bolivia6.43
Haiti6.29
Paraguay7.31
Wainstein M.Bello A.K.Jha V.et al. Kidney Int Suppl 2021; 11: e35-e46

CKD Prevalence in African Countries

REGION PREVALENCE OF CKD
Nigeria (2018)24.4% - 26%
South Africa (2019)12.9%
Egypt (2023)13%
Tanzania (2018)7%
Ethiopia (2018)12.2%
Zimbabwe (2017)2% - 41%
Cameroon (2020)3.1 - 14.2%
Ivory Coast (2017)10.4%
Botswana (2017)13.5%
Guinea (2015)4.8% - 11.7%
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 4924

CKD Prevalence in Middle Eastern Countries 2018

CountriesCKD Prevalence % (95% CI)
Bahrain9.28
Iran, Islamic Rep.10.57
Iraq7.38
Jordan7.37
Kuwait8.39
Lebanon8.31
Oman7.42
Qatar7.13
Saudi Arabia7.2
Syrian Arab Republic8.02
United Arab Emirates7.67
West Bank and Gaza-
Yemen5.24
(http://www.healthdata.org/gbd), WHO data observatory (https://www.who.int/gho/en/)

CKD Prevalence in CIS Countries 2018

CountriesCKD Prevalence % (95% CI)
Armenia14.89
Azerbaijan11.26
Belarus17.13
Georgia12.55
Kazakhstan10.42
Kyrgyz Republic7.91
Russian Federation19.23
Tajikistan7.4
Turkmenistan10.04
Ukraine18.18
Uzbekistan9.37
GBD study database (http://www.healthdata.org/gbd),WHO data observatory (https://www.who.int/gho/en/)