Both GFR and renal plasma flow (RPF) decline with adult aging, beginning at about age 30 [2, 3] . Around the time one is 80 years old, the RPF declines more rapidly than GFR, leading to a modest increase in filtration fraction. The average yearly decline of GFR between age 30 and 75 in Abstract The varied functions of the kidneys are influenced by the complex process of aging. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) steadily declines with normal aging, and the progress of this process can be

more »

... nced by superimposed diseases. Microscopically, nephron numbers decrease as global glomerulosclerosis becomes more evident. The precise mechanisms underlying nephron loss with aging are not well understood, but derangements in podocyte biology appear to be involved. Classifications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) incorporate GFR values and attendant risk of adverse events. Arbitrary and fixed thresholds of GFR for defining CKD have led to an overdiagnosis of CKD in the elderly. An age-sensitive definition of CKD could offer a solution to this problem and more meaningfully capture the prognostic implications of CKD.