Mind the gap in kidney care: Translating what we know into what we do.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do. Clear guidelines exist for the prevention and management of common risk factors for kidney disease, such as hypertension and diabetes, but only a fraction of people with these conditions worldwide are diagnosed, and even fewer are treated to target. Similarly, the vast majority of people living with kidney disease are unaware of their condition because in the early stages, it is often silent. Even among patients who have been diagnosed, many do not receive appropriate treatment for kidney disease. Considering the serious consequences of kidney disease progression, kidney failure, or death, it is imperative that treatments are initiated early and appropriately. Opportunities to diagnose and treat kidney disease early must be maximized beginning at the primary care level. Many systematic barriers exist, ranging from patient to clinician to health systems to societal factors. To preserve and improve kidney health for everyone everywhere, each of these barriers must be acknowledged so that sustainable solutions are developed and implemented without further delay.

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Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.

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VL is chair of the Advocacy Working Group, International Society of Nephrology, no financial disclosures. KRT has received research grants from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, director’s office), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Travere Therapeutics; and consultancy fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk. She is chair of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Collaborative for the American Society of Nephrology. RC-R is a member of the Steering Committee of World Kidney Day, a member of the Diabetes Committee of the Latin-American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension (SLANH), and a member of the Latin American Regional Board, International Society of Nephrology. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease (DAPA-CKD) trial (AstraZeneca), the Study of Diabetic Nephropathy with Atrasentan (SONAR) (Abbvie), A Non-interventional Study Providing Insights Into the Use of Finerenone in a Routine Clinical Setting (FINE-REAL) (Bayer), and CKD-ASI (Boehringer). He has received research grants from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Boehringer, and Novo Nordisk; and has received honoraria as a speaker from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Amgen. All the other authors declared no competing interests.