Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that Klotho, an anti-aging hormone produced in the kidneys, may serve as a biomarker for early CKD and its cardiovascular complications. Low levels of Klotho have been observed in both mice and humans with CKD. The senior author of the study, Dr. Orson Moe said, “It can be a vicious cycle where CKD begets low Klotho and low Klotho accelerates CKD. Chronic kidney disease appears to go hand-in-hand with chronic Klotho deficiency.” When the researchers increased Klotho levels in mice with CKD and soft-tissue calcification, they found that calcification diminished and kidney function improved. Klotho may be a useful target to diagnose CKD in its early stages and prevent progression of the disease as well as its damaging complications.
Anti-Aging Hormone Klotho May Prevent Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease, Research Suggests, Science Daily, February 18, 2011
