Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in China: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant long-term complication of diabetes and is a primary contributor to end-stage kidney disease.

Objective: This study aimed to report comprehensive nationwide data on the prevalence, screening, and awareness rates of CKD in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, along with associated risk factors.

Methods: Baseline data analysis of the ongoing prospective, observational IMPROVE study was conducted. The study cohort comprised patients who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more than 12 months prior, received at least 1 hypoglycemic medication, and were aged ≥18 years. The participants completed questionnaires and underwent laboratory assessments, including blood and urine samples. The data encompassed patient demographics, medical history, concurrent medications, and comorbidities. Comprehensive evaluations involved physical examinations, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), glycated hemoglobin (HbA), fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, fasting blood lipid profile, and urinalysis. Descriptive statistics were applied for data interpretation, and logistic regression analyses were used to identify the CKD-associated risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Results: A national study from December 2021 to September 2022 enlisted 9672 participants with type 2 diabetes from 45 hospitals that had endocrinology departments. The enrollees were from diverse regions in China, as follows: central (n=1221), east (n=3269), south (n=1474), north (n=2219), and west (n=1489). The prevalence, screening, and awareness rates of CKD among patients with type 2 diabetes were 31% (2997/9672), 27% (810/2997), and 54.8% (5295/9672), respectively. Multivariate binary regression analysis revealed that the CKD risk factors were screening, awareness, smoking, age, diabetes duration, concurrent antihypertensive and microcirculation medications, diabetic complications (foot, retinopathy, and neuropathy), hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and suboptimal glycemic control. Subgroup analysis highlighted an increased CKD prevalence among older individuals, those with prolonged diabetes durations, and residents of fourth-tier cities. Residents of urban areas that had robust educational and economic development exhibited relatively high awareness and screening rates. Notably, 24.2% (1717/7107) of patients with an eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m had proteinuria, whereas 3.4% (234/6909) who had a UACR <30 mg/g presented with an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m. Compared with patients who were cognizant of CKD, those who were unaware of CKD had increased rates of HbA ≥7%, total cholesterol >5.18 μmol/L, LDL cholesterol >3.37 μmol/L, BMI ≥30 kg/m, and hypertension.

Conclusions: In a Chinese population of adults with type 2 diabetes, the CKD prevalence was notable, at 31%, coupled with low screening and awareness rates. Multiple risk factors for CKD have been identified.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05047471; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05047471.