Global, regional and national burden of CKD in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2019

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Chronic kidney disease(CKD) is one of the most prevalent non-communicable health concerns in children and adolescents worldwide; however, data on its incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and trends in the population are limited. We aimed to assess the global, regional and national trends in CKD burden in children and adolescents. Methods In this trend analysis based on the 2019 Global Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, CKD incidence, prevalence and DALYs rates per 100 000 population for children and adolescents were reported at the global, regional and national levels, as well as the average annual percentage change (AAPC). These global trends were analyzed by age, sex, region and socio-demographic index (SDI). Results Globally, the overall incidence of CKD (all stages including kidney replacement therapy) in children and adolescents showed an increasing trend [AAPC 0.44 (95% confidence interval 0.36–0.52)] between 1990 and 2019. Similarly, the overall prevalence of CKD also showed an upward trend [AAPC 0.46 (0.42–0.51)]. However, the DALYs of CKD showed a continuous decreasing trend [AAPC –1.18 (–1.37 to –0.99)]. The population aged 15–19 years had the largest CKD incidence increase during this period. The largest increase in age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was in middle SDI countries [AAPC 0.56 (0.45–0.67)]. The relationship between the ASIR and SDI showed an inverse U-shaped correlation while the relationship between the age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) and SDI showed an inverse trend with SDI. Among adolescents (15–19 years), the ASIR continued to increase for five causes of CKD, owing to type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Most of the disease burden was concentrated in countries with a lower SDI. Andean Latin America and Central Latin America showed the largest increases in CKD ASIR between 1990 and 2019. Conclusion The burden of CKD in children and adolescents has increased worldwide, especially in regions and countries with a lower SDI.