Albuminuria: is it time to screen the general population?

Albuminuria has been associated with increased risk of multiple adverse outcomes, including ESRD, acute kidney injury, cardiovascular disease, and death. Some clinicians advocate for population-based screening of this condition, as a means of identifying individuals at high risk for morbidity and mortality. Several factors influence the potential implementation of screening for albuminuria in the general population, including the type of test used, the threshold for albuminuria, the validity and prognostic value of testing, frequency of follow-up testing, and associated costs of screening. This review discusses the available literature addressing these issues, and suggests an approach to screening patients for albuminuria.