Video: Quest Diagnostics Health Trends(TM) Report Shows Significant Gap in Care for Patients With Chronic Kidn...(nalysis were for diabetes (HbA1c)low-den...),Health

"More aggressive monitoring in the early stages of kidney disease allows more time for evaluation and intervention. We need to work together to promote implementation of early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease," said Joseph A. Vassalotti, MD, chief medical officer, National Kidney Foundation. "The burden of type 2 diabetes and hypertension is expected to grow as the Baby Boomers age and as the obesity epidemic continues. The increase in diabetes and hypertension, the major risk factors for chronic kidney disease, will also drive up the rates of chronic kidney disease unless there are major improvements in diabetes and high blood pressure management."

"Physicians may believe that their patients are not at risk for chronic kidney disease if their blood glucose, lipids and/or blood pressure are controlled. This is simply not true," said Herman Hurwitz, MD, FCAP, senior medical director, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. "Chronic kidney disease is an insidious consequence of these diseases and can progress quickly without routine monitoring. Patients at increased risk for chronic kidney disease should be screened for microalbuminuria at least annually, while those with confirmed microalbuminuria may require even more frequent monitoring depending on their response to treatment. Yet, our data suggests that at-risk chronic kidney disease patients are not being monitored as recommended by established guidelines."

Study Methodology

The Quest Diagnostics Health Trends(TM) Report, "An Analysis of Chronic Kidney Disease in the U.S.," is based on an initial review of test results from November 2005 to December 2006, for patients ages 18 and older. Patient matching software was used to assign a "patient matching" identification number, so that a de-identified data set of individual patient results, matched over time, could
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