Chronic Kidney Disease, Mortality in the Elderly in Cuba

Introduction: Population aging is a global reality. Age is the most important prognostic factor for kidney disease. Objective: To characterize the mortality of the elderly with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Cuba, in the period 2011-2019. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive research. The universe corresponded to the 24 181 deceased over 60 years with CKD in Cuba in the period. The information was taken from the mortality database of the Ministry of Public Health. Absolute and relative frequencies, crude rates of mortality, specific and years of life potentially lost were calculated. Mortality was stratified by province of residence. Results: Among the deceased older than 60, males (52,%) and white-skinned subjects (64,%) predominated. The average mortality rate during the period was 12,5 per 10,000 inhabitants (h). The risk of death was higher in those older than 85 years (34,5 x 10,000 h). The highest rates corresponded to the provinces: Artemisa (18,2), Cienfuegos (15.7), Matanzas (14,5) and Havana (14,5). The main cause of death in the subjects studied was hypertensive kidney disease (42,3 per 100,000 h). Conclusions: There is a slight tendency to increase mortality in the group studied in the country. The risk of death from CKD at the provincial level presents differences; it is higher in the provinces of Artemisa, Cienfuegos, Matanzas and Havana. The main causes of death in individuals with the characteristics studied are hypertensive kidney disease and diabetes mellitus.