Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for CKD 2013

 The concept of chronic kidney disease (CKD), first proposed in 2002 in the United States, has now become accepted around the world. CKD is a risk factor not only for progression to end-stage kidney disease but also for the onset or progression of cardiovascular diseases. As a result, early detection and treatment of CKD are now being prioritized as urgent concerns. The Japanese Society of Nephrology (JSN) has long been focused on CKD, and in September 2007, we published the “Clinical Practice Guidebook for the Diagnosis and Treatment of CKD” (Guidebook for CKD) (Chairperson: Yasuhiko Iino) for non-specialists. Subsequently, in March 2009, the JSN published the “Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for CKD 2009” (Guidelines for CKD 2009) (Chairperson: Sei Sasaki) for kidney specialists. The difference between these two publications is that the Guidebook for CKD was based on a general consensus of the committee, whereas the Guidelines for CKD 2009 was based on the rigorous evaluation of clinical evidence.

The Guidelines for CKD responds to clinical questions (CQs) that arise when kidney specialists are caring for CKD patients. In cases where the response includes a treatment option, a recommendation grade for that treatment has been assigned based on the level of evidence supporting the use of the treatment. Therefore, the combined use of both the Guidelines for CKD 2013 and the Guidebook for CKD 2012 will provide non-specialists and even non-physician health care providers with a deeper understanding of CKD clinical practice.