What type of long-term monitoring is commonly done for patients with chronic kidney disease?

In the context of chronic kidney disease (CKD), regular measurement of creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for long-term monitoring. This is because creatinine levels in the blood provide an indication of kidney function; the higher the creatinine level, the more impaired the kidney function is likely to be. GFR is a calculation based on the creatinine level, age, sex, and body size, and it specifically measures how well the kidneys are filtering blood. Monitoring these parameters helps assess the progression of the disease, the effectiveness of any treatments, and the need for potential interventions, such as renal replacement therapy.

While regular blood pressure measurement, urinalysis, and electrolyte monitoring are also important in the management of patients with CKD, they do not provide a direct assessment of kidney function and disease progression as effectively as creatinine and GFR. Blood pressure monitoring is crucial since hypertension is prevalent in CKD and can worsen kidney function. Urinalysis can help detect the presence of protein or blood, which are important indicators of kidney health but do not provide a complete picture of kidney function over time. Electrolyte monitoring is important for managing the complications associated with CKD, but it is not as directly tied to