Does stage III chronic kidney disease always progress to end-stage renal disease? A ten-year follow-up study

Clinically, it may be appropriate to subdivide patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) into two subgroups, as they show different risks for kidney outcomes. This study evaluated the proportion of patients with stage 3 CKD who progressed to stage 4 or 5 CKD over 10 years and independent predictors of progression of renal dysfunction. It sought to validate whether stage 3 CKD patients should be subdivided.This retrospective cohort study enrolled 347 stage 3 CKD patients between January 1997 and December 1999, who were followed up through June 2010. The baseline clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared in patients with stage 3A [45