Chronic renal insufficiency and renoprotective strategies

The increasing incidence in the number of patients with end‐stage renal disease is a major public health and economic concern. There is growing awareness that early detection and intervention can have a significant impact on delaying the progression of chronic renal insufficiency and the associated comorbidities. By implementing renoprotective measures early, even modest improvements can equate to significant benefits in the long term, hence the importance of identifying at‐risk patients and early referrals to specialist multidisciplinary teams. In this review, some of the evidence‐based renoprotective measures available are examined. (Intern Med J 2003; 33: 237−241)