High rates of albuminuria but not of low eGFR in Urban Indigenous Australians: the DRUID Study

860 Indigenous adult participants of the Darwin Region Urban Indigenous Diabetes (DRUID) Study were assessed for albuminuria (urine albumin-creatinine ratio≥2.5 mg/mmol males, ≥3.5 mg/mmol females) and low eGFR (estimated glomular filtration rate < 60 mls/min/1.73 m2). Associations between risk factors and kidney disease markers were explored. Comparison was made with the AusDiab cohort (n = 8,936 aged 25-64 years), representative of the general Australian adult population.A high prevalence of albuminuria (14.8%) was found in DRUID, whilst prevalence of low eGFR was 2.4%. Older age, higher HbA1c, hypertension, higher C-reactive protein and current smoking were independently associated with albuminuria on multiple regression. Low eGFR was independently associated with older age, hypertension, albuminuria and higher triglycerides. Compared to AusDiab participants, DRUID participants had a 3-fold higher adjusted risk of albuminuria but not of low eGFR.Given the significant excess of ESKD observed in Indigenous versus non-Indigenous Australians, these findings could suggest either: albuminuria may be a better prognostic marker of kidney disease than low eGFR; that eGFR equations may be inaccurate in the Indigenous population; a less marked differential between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for ESKD rates in urban compared to remote regions; or that differences in the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.Indigenous Australians have an incidence of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) 8-10 times higher than non-Indigenous Australians and life expectancy 15-20 years shorter [1-3]. Whilst ESKD rates are very high amongst Indigenous Australians overall, they vary widely across Australia, with a 20-30 fold gradient reported, and a strong link to socioeconomic status [4]. Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of ESKD in Indigenous Australians: 61% of new ESKD in Indigenous Australians was attributed to diabetes