Chronic Kidney Disease among Middle-Aged and Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Screening in a Hospital Camp in Varanasi, India

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is no longer considered just a health burden, but a major health priority owing to its high treatment costs and poor outcome. The lack of communitybased screening programs has led to the detection of CKD patients at advanced stages. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of CKD and patterns of known risk factors among the general population (middle-aged and elderly) attending a screening camp in a community-based setting. The study participants constituted a part of the general population of Varanasi (aged >= 45 years) who volunteered in a screening camp that was organized as part of the World Kidney Day Initiative at Opal Hospital. Information on age, sex, height, weight, smoking and drug history, history of diabetes, hypertension, and family history of kidney disease was extensively interrogated, while laboratory investigations such as urinalysis and serum creatinine levels were recorded. More than three-fifths of the participants were middle-aged adults (i.e., 45-64 years) and the remaining 34.8% were elderly population, i.e., >= 65 years. The overall prevalence of CKD in the 198 studied participants was 29.3%. Higher number of participants (40.6%) of elderly population had CKD (P = 0.011). The serum creatinine, albuminuria, and estimated glomerular filtration rate levels were strongly associated with CKD (P <0.05). Our study suggests that elderly individuals are at risk with higher serum creatinine levels and would benefit from early detection of CKD to prevent disease progression and associated morbidity and mortality.