Glomerular Filtration Rate Equations Overestimate Creatinine Clearance in Older Individuals Enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging: Impact on Renal Drug Dosing

Abstract

The MDRD and CKD-EPI equations significantly overestimated creatinine clearance (mClcr and CG) in elderly individuals. This leads to dose calculation errors for many drugs, particularly in individuals with severe renal impairment. Thus equations estimating glomerular filtration rate should not be substituted in place of the CG equation in older adults for the purpose of renal dosage adjustments. In addition, the common practice of rounding or replacing low Scr values with an arbitrary value of 1.0 mg/dl for use in the CG equation should be avoided. Additional studies that evaluate alternative eGFR equations in the older populations that incorporate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes measures are needed.