Screening for chronic kidney disease

- Kenny Lin, MD

In patients without diabetes or hypertension, there is not enough evidence to assess benefits and harms of screening for chronic kidney disease with a serum creatinine level or urine albumin testing, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reported yesterday. A 2011 AFP article on chronic kidney disease detection and evaluation noted that multiple organizations recommend screening in patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and a systematic review performed to support the USPSTF recommendation found that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors slowed progression to end-stage renal disease and decreased mortality if prescribed in the early stages of this condition. However, few studies included patients without diabetes or hypertension.

For family physicians, the bottom line from this recommendation is that there is no clinical indication for ordering a basic metabolic profile or urinalysis in an asymptomatic patient as part of a preventive health evaluation. Ordering such unnecessary tests frequently does more harm than good, and has been discouraged by the AAFP-supported Choosing Wisely initiative and a previous AFP editorial.