Screening for Albuminuria at the First Line for Early Identification of Chronic Kidney Disease: a Pilot Study

Early detection and appropriate treatment of kidney disease is important as this may prevent future cardiovascular complications and end-organ damage more effectively than intervention in more advanced stages of disease. There is a well-established relationship between albuminuria and renal- and cardiovascular disease. Elevated albuminuria has a relatively high prevalence in the general population (5-9%). The prevalence of albuminuria is even higher in high-risk patients with diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease and lipid disorders. Adequate treatment of albuminuria, preferable at early stages can prevent both cardiovascular and renal disease progression. However, scarce epidemiological data show that albuminuria measurements are only conducted in a minority of individuals and disease recognition is suboptimal, even in high-risk groups. The current study aims to evaluate if and how early identification of chronic kidney disease by targeted screening of albuminuria levels is feasible in primary care (pharmacies and general practitioners) to optimally discover and treat patients with elevated albuminuria.