Guidelines For Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosis Cause Debate Among Physicians.

The New York Times (9/15, Span, Subscription Publication) reports that the guidelines for the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease are causing debate among physicians, with some arguing “that the guidelines should be recalibrated by age.” Authors of a recent viewpoint article in JAMA “propose that in people older than 65, the diagnosis should require a G.F.R. [glomerular filtration rate] reading less than 45,” as opposed to the current reading of 60, which they estimate will reduce “a third to half of the chronic kidney disease diagnosed.” Authors of an opposing viewpoint article, however, “warned against changing the guidelines,” saying that people need to know that they have low GFR levels in order to “take some steps to reduce the risk of eventual kidney failure, even if that’s already extremely low.”