Prevalence and Correlates of Elevated Serum Creatinine Levels

Abstract

THE INCIDENCE and prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) continue to grow.^1,2 The social burden of ESRD also is becoming heavier. Although serum creatinine (SCr) levels are not an ideal marker for renal function,³ they are strongly predictive of the subsequent development of ESRD. Recently, Iseki et al⁴ measured SCr levels in 14,609 participants from a community screening project in Okinawa, Japan. For each increment of 18 µmol/L (0.2 mg/dL) in SCr levels, the odds [OR] ratio for the development of ESRD was 5.3 in men and 3.9 in women, when compared with those who had SCr levels of less than 106 µmol/L (1.2 mg/dL) in men and 88 µmol/L (1.0 mg/dL) in women. Consequently, from a public health perspective, it is imperative to know the prevalence of elevated SCr levels and to identify predictors in the community. The few community-based studies that have targeted this issue have suffered from possible selection or referral bias^4-8 or have included limited demographic groups.^9,10