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TOPLINE
Between 2016 and 2024, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) rose among patients with diabetes in Denmark — from 20.5% to 26.4% in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and from 24.8% to 37.3% in type 2 diabetes (T2D) — even as the annual incidence of CKD declined in both groups. Mortality remained several-fold higher among patients with CKD than among those without.
METHODOLOGY
- Researchers conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study in Denmark using linked national registers to assess trends in the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of CKD among patients with T1D and T2D from 2016 to 2024.
- They included adults aged 18 years or older with prevalent diabetes on January 1, 2016, and those with newly diagnosed diabetes between January 2016 and December 2023.
- Annual population sizes were 22,170 patients with T1D and 251,248 with T2D in 2016; by 2024, these numbers increased to 23,899 and 308,326, respectively. Median ages across groups ranged from 47.4 to 75.7 years, and men accounted for 54.1%-58.3%.
- CKD was defined using a composite measure that included at least two measurements of estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 obtained at least 90 days apart, at least two urinary albumin-creatinine ratio measurements ≥ 30 mg/g within a 2-year period and at least 90 days apart, or a hospital diagnosis or procedure codes.
- The researchers calculated annual prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates separately for T1D and T2D and stratified the results by sex and age group.
TAKEAWAY
- Between 2016 and 2024, the prevalence of CKD increased from 20.5% to 26.4% in T1D and from 24.8% to 37.3% in T2D.
- The annual incidence of CKD declined in both diabetes types: T1D fell from 21.5 to 14.9 per 1000 person‑years; T2D fell from 55.3 to 43.7 per 1000 person‑years, with the largest absolute declines seen in those aged 70 years or older with T2D (from 93.6 to 74.3 per 1000 person-years).
- Mortality among patients with CKD declined from 61.4 to 50.0 per 1000 person-years in T1D and from 84.8 to 77.7 per 1000 person-years in T2D. By 2024, mortality in T2D was roughly five to six times higher in those with CKD than in those without.
- The prevalence of albuminuria nearly doubled in T1D and more than doubled in T2D; however, the incidence of albuminuria declined in both diabetes types.
IN PRACTICE
"Continued emphasis on prevention, systematic testing, early detection, and comprehensive management remains essential to reduce the clinical burden of CKD in diabetes," the authors wrote.
SOURCE
The study was led by Christina J.-Y. Lee, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. It was published online on August 09, 2026, in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
LIMITATIONS
Kidney testing was incomplete and rose over the study period, especially urine albumin-creatinine testing. Patients without sufficient testing were excluded from the incidence analyses and may have differed systematically from those included. CKD status was retained after first recording; therefore, prevalence reflected ever-recorded CKD rather than current kidney status.
DISCLOSURES
This study was partially funded by Bayer. Several authors reported having financial relationships — including receiving research support, consulting fees, or honoraria and serving in advisory or data safety monitoring board roles — with a wide range of pharmaceutical and device companies.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
