Partnership for Quality Measurement Endorses NKF Measure to Advance Earlier Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease

Expanded Kidney Health Evaluation measure promotes annual testing for adults with diabetes and/or high blood pressure

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) today announced that the Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) has endorsed NKF's Rate of Annual Kidney Health Evaluation Among Adults with Diabetes and/or Hypertension quality measure. The endorsement recognizes the measure's potential to improve the identification and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among millions of adults at increased risk.

The measure tracks the percentage of adults aged 18 to 85 with diabetes and/or high blood pressure who receive two tests during the measurement year: an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) blood test and a urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) urine test. Together, the tests provide a more complete picture of kidney health and help clinicians identify CKD and assess a person's risk of disease progression and cardiovascular complications.

"Too many people with kidney disease do not know they have it until the disease has progressed," said Joseph Vassalotti, MD, Chief Medical Officer at NKF. "PQM's endorsement is an important step toward making complete kidney health evaluation a routine part of care for people at increased risk, so CKD can be identified and managed earlier."

An estimated 37 million adults in the United States have CKD, and about 9 in 10 do not know they have it. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common risk factors for CKD, yet testing rates remain low and vary widely. The endorsed measure is intended to help close this gap by encouraging annual kidney health evaluation for people with either condition.

Clinical guidelines from the American Diabetes Association, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), and NKF support kidney health evaluation using both eGFR and uACR for people with diabetes and/or high blood pressure. The measure expands on NKF's Kidney Health Evaluation for People with Diabetes measure, introduced in 2020, by including people with high blood pressure.

"Since 2020, NKF's Kidney Health Evaluation measure for people with diabetes has helped advance more complete, guideline-recommended CKD testing," said Elizabeth Montgomery, National VP, Clinical Innovation and Population Health at NKF. "Expanding the measure to include people with high blood pressure creates an opportunity to identify more people with CKD earlier, when treatment can help protect both kidney and heart health."

The electronic clinical quality measure uses data from certified electronic health record technology, making it practical for clinicians and healthcare organizations to track whether eligible patients receive both recommended tests. It also supports broader national efforts to improve CKD awareness, detection, and management.

CKD is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, hospitalization, death, and rising healthcare costs. In 2023, Medicare spending for CKD and end-stage kidney disease exceeded $196 billion, representing 36% of total Medicare fee-for-service spending. Earlier identification can help connect people to care and treatment that may slow CKD progression and reduce cardiovascular risk.

About Kidney Disease

In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.

About the National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation