Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate versus Albuminuria in the Assessment of Kidney Function: What's More Important?

Clinical practice guidelines state that any evaluation of kidney disease requires the assessment of (1) kidney function in the form of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and (2) kidney damage by a quantitative assessment of proteinuria, preferably by the determination of the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. This review discusses the relative merits of each measurement, focusing on the strengths of each measurement in relationship to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk prediction as well as the prediction of kidney disease progression with loss of kidney function over time and the progression to end-stage kidney disease treated by dialysis or kidney transplantation.