Chronic Kidney Disease: A Comprehensive Review of Follow-Up Care in Primary Health Settings

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) encompasses a variety of kidney function and structural abnormalities, posing a significant global health challenge. Early detection and management are critical, with guidelines from 2002 outlining CKD classification based on severity, which is determined by factors such as glomerular filtration rate (GFR), clinical diagnosis, and albuminuria. Routine laboratory tests play a key role in detecting CKD at early stages. Effective treatments are available to slow disease progression, prevent complications, reduce cardiovascular risks, and improve the quality of life and survival rates for CKD patients. This review examines data from multiple sources, including Cochrane, Medline, PubMed, Embase, and NCBI, and focuses on the etiology, incidence, and management strategies of CKD. The increasing prevalence of CKD is largely attributed to the growing incidence of chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as the aging population. CKD often goes unnoticed in its early stages, being asymptomatic until it reaches advanced stages, where it may lead to end-stage renal failure or death.