Estimating glomerular filtration rate using the chronic kidney disease-epidemiology collaboration creatinine equation: better risk predictions.

Serum creatinine is measured more than 280 million times annually in the United States, and more than 80% of clinical laboratories now report an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) when serum creatinine is measured.1,2 The most commonly used equation is the Modification of Diet and Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation. Recently, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) developed and validated a new equation, the CKD-EPI creatinine equation, which uses the same variables as the MDRD Study but is more accurate compared with measured GFR2,3; however, as for other diagnostic tests, other criteria are also important in clinical practice and public health, including detecting disease and predicting prognosis.