The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation is less accurate in patients with Type 2 diabetes when compared with healthy individuals.

AIMS: To analyse the performances of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and of Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equations to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus with GFRs >60 ml/min and in healthy volunteers.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 111 individuals (56 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 55 healthy volunteers), aged 58 ± 9 years; 54 individuals were men (49%) and ninety-eight (88%) were white. Glomerular filtration rate was measured by the (51) Cr-EDTA single-injection method ((51) Cr-GFR) and estimated according to the standardized MDRD and CKD-EPI equations. Serum creatinine was measured by a traceable Jaffe method. Bland-Altman analysis was used to examine the agreement between measured and estimated GFR. Bias, accuracy and precision were evaluated.

RESULTS: In diabetic individuals, (51) Cr-GFR was 106 ± 27 ml/min/1.73 m(2) , CKD-EPI-estimated GFR 82 ± 18 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and MDRD-estimated GFR 80 ± 21 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (P < 0.001). In healthy volunteers, the corresponding values were 98 ± 20, 89 ± 13 and 84 ± 14 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (P < 0.001). The accuracy of CKD-EPI (P30) was higher in healthy volunteers than in diabetic patients (90 vs. 66%, respectively, P < 0.001). The MDRD equation performed as poorly as the CKD-EPI equation in individuals with Type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS: The CKD-EPI equation is less accurate in patients with Type 2 diabetes when compared with healthy individuals, with a 2.5-fold greater bias.