After decades of Babylonian confusion, we finally have a clear, uniform and widely accepted definition of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Based on evidence, and in accordance with other diseases, this definition is independent of age. This has made it possible to study the relevance and prevalence of CKD. We now know that CKD is associated with a myriad of health problems. We have also learned that studying the prevalence of CKD is difficult from a methodological perspective. But whatever the exact prevalence may be, we can safely conclude that CKD is common and that the crude prevalence of treated end-stage kidney disease is increasing, as is the importance of morbidity and mortality caused by CKD. The CKD epidemic is therefore real and concerning. It is now time to move forwards from debate about the semantics of the definition of CKD to the challenges of disseminating this newly obtained knowledge to patients, the medical community and health care policymakers and to develop strategies for CKD prevention and treatment.
Epidemics Humans