[Gender differences in chronic kidney diseases : myth or reality ?]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) concerns about 10 % of the population in Switzerland. Epidemiological studies suggest that women are less prone to the development of CKD than men, and progress less rapidly to end stage renal disease. This protection seems lost when entering menopause. The reasons for this finding may stem from hormonal, structural or hemodynamic differences, yet the precise underlying mechanisms are so far incompletely understood. Some animal studies suggest a potentially beneficial effect of estrogen therapy, mainly in diabetes, yet data in humans are lacking. This article provides an overview of epidemiological data and the different hypotheses concerning gender differences in CKD, and discusses the eventual benefits of estrogen therapy to retard CKD progression.