Abstract: Epidemiology of CKD 1 vi71decided to analyze the rate of progression of CKD in a population followed by a multidisciplinary team.Methods: We analyzed data from 209 patients (102 females) referred to the Nephrology Division, after at least 6 months under treatment by a multidisciplinary team (nephrologist, nutritionist, nurse and psychologist) patients were followed from January of 2002 until December of 2005.Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by MDRD equation (eGFR).Patients with eGFR below 15ml/min were excluded, and this value was considered the end-point for calculation of the rate of decline of renal function.Results are mean± SD.Results: Hypertension was the main cause of CKD (31%) followed by Diabetes (26%).Age was 60±15 years, body mass index was 27±5 kg.m 2 for females and 26±4 kg.m 2 for males.Serum calcium, phosphorus and albumin were normal.Urea was 71±36mg/dl, eGFR = 38±20 ml/min.Systolic arterial pressure was 137±20mmHg and diastolic= 80±11mmHg; hematocrit = 37±5%, hemoglobin =12.3±1.7g/dl;cholesterol= 194±42mg/dl, HDL-cholesterol= 36±11mg/dl, LDL-cholesterol= 119±54mg/dl; triglyceride = 167±106 mg/dl; iPTH= 221±221 pg/ml.From the studied population 58% was referred to treatment with eGFR = 45-30 ml/min, and the remaining with eGFR =29 to 15 ml/min.K/DOQUI suggests a decline of 4ml/min/year for CKD patients.As shown in Table1, the rate of decline of eGFR of the present population was below this level, meaning an extra gain of time per year free from dialysis as a consequence of the conservative management with a multidisciplinary team.Table1.Progression of CKD Baseline disease Initial eGFR GFR reduction Time expectancy Time gain/year (ml/min) (ml/min/yr) in conservative in conservative management (yrs) management (yrs) Diabetes 40.48 2.88 8.85 0.62 Hypertension 35.41 0.89 23.05 0.78 Others 46.21 1.23 25.42 0.69 Conclusions:The present data show that a late referral population, did not show complications of uremia, and the rate of decline of GFR was lower than suggestted by K/DOQUI.We concluded therefore that, if followed by specialists and if possible by a multidisciplinary team, retarding the progression of CKD even in its more advanced stages is possible.Therefore conservative management is an efficient way to maintain CKD patients and to postpone renal substitutive therapy.Finally we believe that programs aiming this treatment should be encouraged to ameliorate care of CKD patients.