Clinical characteristics of the chronic kidney disease in the elderly: a cross - sectional study

Objective To analyze the baseline clinical characteristics of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) in aged people in the clinic. Methods Patients aged 18 years or older in our CKD clinic from October 2003 to December 2012 were included in this study. According to their age patients were divided into 2 groups: aged CKD group: aged 65 or older and non-aged CKD group: younger than 65. A group of the elderly without CKD from health screening program were selected as aged non-CKD control group. Causes, distributions of stages and complications of CKD in three groups were analyzed. Results The major cause of the elderly CKD was hypertension, different from that of younger CKD . The distribution of CKD stage in the elderly was mainly in the G3b stage, different from that in the younger. Anemia and mineral bone disease presented in earlier CKD stage in the aged CKD patients and the prevalence was higher than in the aged non-CKD group. The prevalence of hypertension had no statistical difference between the two CKD groups, but hypertension control rate was lower in aged CKD patients. Conclusions The clinical characteristics including causes and renal stage are different between the young and aged CKD patients. Complications such as anemia and mineral bone disease presents in earlier renal stage in aged CKD patients which means we should monitor and interfere earlier.