Against a background of increasing end-stage kidney disease, epidemiologists reviewed a representative sample of the U.S. population from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They estimated that 3% of the total population have elevated serum creatinine levels - which indicates chronic kidney disease. That translates to 5.6 million individuals.

Further, 70% of these people were hypertensive. Among hypertensive individuals with elevated serum creatinine levels, 75% were receiving treatment for their hypertension. However, only 11% had their blood pressure reduced to 130/85 mmHg or lower, which is the recommend goal for hypertensive individuals with renal disease. Hypertensive individuals with elevated creatinine levels who were receiving treatment for their hypertension had a mean pressure of 147/77 mmHg; about half were receiving one antihypertensive medication.

The researchers also concluded that mild kidney disease is more common than end-stage disease, and it may often go undiagnosed and undertreated.

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