Study results presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 38th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition demonstrated that patients, particularly women, with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease are often undiagnosed and have a low rate of referral to nephrologists, a medical specialty focused on treating kidney-related disorders.

According to a company release, the study determined that among 85,172 patients, 2,454 had moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Of these, only one-third had a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. Additionally, approximately 75 per cent of Stage 3 chronic kidney disease patients and 42 per cent of Stage 4 patients did not have a formal diagnosis of the disease. The study also demonstrated that a disproportionately lower number of women with Stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease had been diagnosed (24 per cent of women vs. 44 per cent of men). In addition, the study found that both diagnosed and undiagnosed patients had a low referral rate to nephrologists, regardless of their disease stage or whether or not they suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure - two risk factors for kidney disease.

"The analysis shows that many people with chronic kidney disease are not being accurately diagnosed and referred to medical specialists. This makes it so important that those with high risk factors for chronic kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes, learn to recognise early warning signs of the condition, such as anaemia, and take an active role in their health care," explained the study's lead author Ajay Singh, renal division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.

This study was designed to determine the connection between claims data in a managed care setting and the use of estimated glomerular filtration rates, referred to as eGFR, in diagnosing chronic kidney disease. eGFR is a test to measure kidney function and stage of kidney disease. Physicians calculate eGFR based on age, race, gender and the results of blood creatinine tests, which measure how well the kidneys are working. The study also was designed to quantify gender disparities in identification and coding of chronic kidney disease patients and to determine what type of medical specialists chronic kidney disease patients are referred to within a managed care organisation.

The National Kidney Foundation and National Kidney Disease Education Programme have emphasised the importance of physicians using eGFR rates to diagnose chronic kidney disease early. The inclusion of eGFR on lab reports, along with education, may help primary care physicians better diagnose, treat and refer patients.