Prevalence and determinants of chronic kidney disease among community-dwelling adults, 50 years and older in Ireland

Background: Using the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), we evaluated the prevalence and distribution of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and its determinants in order to identify risk groups for population health planning in Ireland. Methods: Data were analysed from Wave 1 (2009-2011) of the TILDA, a national cohort of participants aged 50+ years who had both plasma creatinine and cystatin C measured at baseline. Kidney function was estimated using the 2012 and 2021 Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m². Multivariable logistic regression explored associations using adjusted odds ratios (OR). Results: Prevalence of CKD was significantly higher using the CKD-EPI 2012_(Scr-CysC) compared with the CKD-EPI 2021_(Scr-CysC) (14.7% vs 11.3%, respectively). The prevalence was highest in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) (33.9%), diabetes (28.0%), cancer (25.5%), urinary incontinence (23.7%), bone diseases (21.5%), hypertension (19.8%) and obesity (19.5%). In multivariable analysis, individuals with hypertension (OR 1.78), diabetes (OR 1.45), CVD (OR 1.43), cancer (OR 1.53), overweight (OR 1.37) and obesity (OR 2.33) experienced greater likelihood of CKD. In addition, individuals with a history of previous hospitalization (OR 1.50), free or subsidized healthcare (OR 1.31), and unemployed individuals (OR 1.86) were also significantly more likely to have CKD. Conclusion: Compared with the national average, the burden of CKD is far greater in older individuals with major chronic conditions and socioeconomic deprivation. The identification and targeting of these groups through national surveillance programmes is likely to yield substantial benefits from more effective disease management and proactive population health planning.