Population-based reference values for kidney function and kidney function decline in 25- to 95-year-old Germans without and with diabetes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2024.06.024
• Publication Date: 2024-07-29T15:37:03Z
• Authors: Janina M. Herold; Simon Wiegrebe; Jana Nano; Bettina Jung; Mathias Gorski; Barbara Thorand; Wolfgang Koenig; Tanja Zeller; Martina E. Zimmer...; Ralph Burkhardt; Bernhard Banas; Helmut Küchenhoff; Klaus J. Stark; Annette Peters; Carsten A. Böger; Iris M. Heid
• Keywords: Male; Adult; Aged, 80 and over; ddc:610; Aging; Age Factors; 610 Medizin; Middle Aged; Kidney; Cross-Sectional Studies; Reference Values; Germany; Creatinine; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Cystatin C; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Biomarkers; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Aged; chronic kidney disease, diabetes, general population, kidney function, kidney function decline, reference values

Kidney function, assessed as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), declines by age. In clinical practice, it is important to understand whether a person has an eGFR value as expected given the person’s age, or whether the value is lower than expected and potentially a reason for concern. Although chronic kidney disease is defined as eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, the question arises whether a value of, for example, 58 ml/min per 1.73 m2 for an 80-year-old person is indicative of disease or age appropriate. We collected data from >12,000 individuals, aged 25 to 95 years, from population-based German studies. We provide age-specific reference values for eGFR usable in clinical practice to answer this question. Longitudinal information on eGFR decline was analyzed to also provide reference values for eGFR-decline by risk profile groups. Advanced regression models were applied for these analyses. Our results are interpretable and usable to help in clinical routine.