CKD places a huge burden on patients, their families, and the economy. CKD affects 10% of the population and the condition results in an annual cost of approximately £1.4 billion to the NHS (overall budget is now approximately £180 billion) – about 1% of the NHS budget.
CKD and heart disease
In addition, CKD confers significant risk to the heart, and is one of the six high-risk conditions for the development of heart disease (others include diabetes and a high cholesterol). CKD alone carries a greater risk of cardiac events (e.g. angina and heart attacks) than diabetes, and this risk is amplified in patients if diabetes is the cause of the patient’s CKD.
The cardiac risk of CKD is further elevated by increased urine ACR (uACR) or decreased estimated GFR (eGFR), as both are independently linked to early mortality, even when CKD is ‘mild’. In other words, a combination of increased ACR and decreased eGFR multiply the risks of cardiac disease.
Medical effects on 100 patients with CKD per year
According to the 2017 National CKD Audit (NCKDA), for every 100 patients with CKD and moderate-to-severe impairment of kidney function, each year there are:
- Seven acute kidney injury events
- Six cardiovascular events
- Seven deaths
- 38 unplanned hospital admissions
- Two admissions to an intensive care unit.
Furthermore, CKD has other significant detrimental consequences (e.g. anaemia), and some patients may require dialysis or kidney transplantation in end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Summary
The detrimental consequences of CKD and the burden it imposes, highlight the importance of early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.
Last Reviewed on 19 September 2023