[Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in hypertensive aged women treated in primary care. MERICAP Study].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Information about the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the population treated in primary care is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of CKD in Spanish hypertensive women aged 64 years or older, and to determine possible associated factors.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional study including women with a diagnosis of hypertension selected by consecutive sampling in primary care. CKD was diagnosed when glomerular filtration rate was<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (MDRD). We assessed sociodemographic and clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, and the presence of cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS: The sample included 3782 women with a mean age of 73.6 ± 6.1 years. CKD (glomerular filtration rate<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) was present in 53.4% (95% CI: 51.8-55.0). Masked CKD (serum creatinine<1.2mg/dl) was present in 25.7% (95% CI: 26.3-29.1). The prevalence increased with age (51% in those younger than 75 and 60.7% in women older than 84 (P<.001). With respect to those with normal renal function, hypertensive women having CKD were older, showed higher values of blood pressure, and had more frequently dyslipidemia, elevated plasma glucose, target organ damage and cardiovascular disease (P<.001). In a multivariate analysis, CKD was associated with coronary heart disease (OR: 1.9), hyperglycemia (OR: 1.6), hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.5), and elevated diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.4).

CONCLUSIONS: More than half of hypertensive women aged 64 years have CKD and of these about half have normal creatinine values.