Albuminuria remains as an under-recognized determinant in the risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in people with diabetes and hypertension. A recent study published in ‘Hypertension’ emphasizes the importance of regular albuminuria checking for early detection of CKD and initiation of treatment for renal and cardiovascular complications.

The researchers conducted the study on 1344594 adults with diabetes and 2334461 nondiabetic adults with hypertension and observed that only 4% of people without diabetes and with hypertension and 35% of the people with diabetes had been screened for CKD with a test of albuminuria. This was despite the relatively high prevalence of CKD among people with diabetes and hypertension. The ratio of undetected due to lack of screening to detected ACR ≥30 mg/g was estimated at 1.8 in diabetes and 19.5 in hypertension. Among those with ACR < 30 mg/g, the median 5-year incidence of ACR ≥30 mg/g across cohorts was 23.9% in diabetes and 21.7% in hypertension.

The study sheds light on the need to widen the screening of albuminuria for the early detection of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in people with diabetes.