Management of chronic kidney disease in the elderly

Both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease are strongly age related. Although the morbidity and mortality of CKD have significantly improved in recent years because of a greater understanding of its pathophysiology and evidence-based approach to management, the application of this evidence to the elderly CKD patients is often fraught with difficulty. This is because, besides age, the clinical and biological variables that are widely prevalent in the elderly, such as multiple co-morbidities, functional impairments and polypharmacy, and quality of life and functional outcome measures, which are pertinent to this age group, have generally not been incorporated into the available evidence. This paper reviews the current evidence with a view to providing a framework for diagnosing and managing CKD in the elderly. Special references are made to age-related physiological changes in the renal system, assessment of renal function, and management of metabolic complications and end-stage renal disease.