A Canadian Commentary on the NKF-ASN Task Force Recommendations on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Disease

Abstract

In 2021, a committee was commissioned by the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) to comment on the 2021 National Kidney Foundation (NKF)- American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Task Force recommendations on the use of race in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations. The committee met on numerous occasions and agreed on several recommendations. However, the committee did not achieve unanimity, with a minority group disagreeing with the scope of the commentary. As a result, this report presents the viewpoint of the majority members. We endorsed many of the recommendations from the NKF-ASN Task Force, most importantly that race should be removed from the eGFR creatinine-based equation. We recommend an immediate implementation of the new CKD-EPI equation (2021), which does not discriminate among any group while maintaining precision. Additionally, we recommend that Canadian laboratories and provincial kidney organizations advocate for increased testing and access to cystatin C as the combination of cystatin C and creatinine in revised equations leads to more precise estimates. Lastly, we recommend that future research studies evaluating the implementation of the new equations and changes to screening, diagnosis, and management across provincial health programs be prioritized in Canada.