Patients at High Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease Identified

Measuring three biomarkers in a single blood sample may improve physicians' ability to identify patients at high risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Stored blood samples from 1995-98 were tested to see if any of six different biomarkers could predict which patients were most likely to develop CKD. A combination of three biomarkers, homocysteine, aldosterone, and B-type natriuretic, significantly improved the ability to identify patients at high risk of CKD.

The study included more than 2,300 participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, a long-term follow-up study of heart disease risk factors and outcomes. All participants had normal kidney function when they provided blood samples in 1995-98. An average of 9.5 years later, nine percent of patients had developed CKD. Another eight percent had high levels of protein in the urine at follow-up, a key sign of deteriorating kidney function.

Dr. Caroline Fox M.D., M.P.H., of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, (Framingham, MA, USA) said that adding the blood levels of the three biomarkers to standard risk factors like high blood pressure led to an additional 7 percent of patients being classified at high risk of chronic kidney disease.

Related Links:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study