Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant, A. Manzoni Hospital, Lecco, Italy.
J Nephrol. 2010 Sep-Oct;23 Suppl 15:S11-5.
The great increase in the number of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be explained by a number of reasons. Elderly patients present typical and peculiar clinical features, and nephrologists have to consider the frequent clinical complications related to old age, such as malnutrition and cachexia, cognitive impairment and physical dependence with walking disability and depression. All of these factors have led to the birth of geriatric nephrology. Geriatric nephrology needs to take into account the high prevalence of diabetes and vascular disease in the elderly, which is related to a poor prognosis, mainly related to cerebrocardiovascular mortality. Best everyday clinical practice should include an accurate evaluation of patients, including quality of life, to select the best therapeutic approach for each individual case. A careful and reasonable use of drugs in the elderly is also of importance.
慢性肾脏病（CKD）患者数量的大量增加可以用许多原因来解释。老年患者具有典型和特殊的临床特征，肾脏病医生必须考虑与老年相关的常见临床并发症，如营养不良和恶病质、认知障碍以及行走障碍和抑郁引起的身体依赖。所有这些因素导致了老年肾脏病学的诞生。老年肾脏病学需要考虑老年人中糖尿病和血管疾病的高发率，这与预后不良有关，主要与心脑血管死亡率有关。最佳日常临床实践应包括对患者（包括生活质量）进行准确评估，以选择每个个体病例的最佳治疗方法。在老年人中谨慎合理地使用药物也很重要。
