Prevalence of ICD-9-CM codes for chronic kidney disease in individuals with cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: We determined the prevalence of diagnosed CKD in 87,128 members older than 40 years of age without CVD who were enrolled in a regional medical care plan with at least 1 claim for medical care.

Results: The prevalence of diagnosed CKD was 4%, and 8%, 6%, 5% and 10% in patients with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and all 3 risk factors, respectively.

Managing erythropoietin hyporesponsiveness.

The anemia of chronic kidney disease is associated with cardiovascular disease, decreased quality of life, and mortality. The introduction of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) has transformed the management of this condition. However, a significant proportion of patients fail to respond to even high doses of rHuEPO.