Risk factors for kidney disease among civil servants: Report of annual screening and medical evaluation

Abstract

The outlook of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is worse among the poor sub-Saharan Africa populace due to limited and unaffordable renal replacement therapy. Regular screening of at-risk population can contribute to delaying or even preventing the progression of the disease. This study was designed to evaluate prevalent risk factors for CKD among the urban dwelling civil servants in Ado Ekiti. This is a cross-sectional observational study involving healthy adults above 18 years old. Data on sociodemographic and relevant lifestyle pattern such as smoking, alcohol intake, personal and family history of hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease were obtained. Clinical variables such as anthropometric measurements, blood pressure (BP), and blood samples for laboratory investigations were taken. There were 122 participants with a mean age of 47.26 ± 5.62 years. About half of them earn <$140/month. Fifty-two (42.6%) individuals admitted taking local herbs and/or Chinese medicines and about a third (36.1%) use unprescribed medi-cations including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Family history of high BP and diabetes mellitus was present in 15.6% and 11.5% of individuals, respectively. We found 45 (32.6%) individuals with body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, while 13.3% and 3.3% have at least 1+ of dipstick and microalbuminuria, respectively. About one-third (25.4%) were either found to be hypertensive or were on antihypertensives, while 12 (9.8%) were either diabetic or had hyperglycemia during the screening. There is a high prevalence of risk factors for CKD among these apparently well individuals. Regular screening, and treatment of the identified risk factors is recommended.