In two separate studies, researchers have discovered new blood biomarkers that may lead to better, earlier diagnosis of kidney disease and swifter interventions to protect kidney function and avoid complications.
Scientists from Germany reviewed concentrations of 500 metabolites in the blood of several thousand people, finally identifying six metabolites related to kidney function. They found that two of the metabolites were as good a measure of function as the current marker, creatinine, and they may have advantages as well. Estimating kidney function based on creatinine is complex, and by the time creatinine levels begin to rise in the blood, patients may have already lost considerable function.
A team of researchers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Mississippi Medical Center has found that troponin T, a protein in the blood indicating heart damage, can also be an early predictor of kidney failure and death for those with hypertension. The findings held true regardless of race or baseline kidney function.
Sources:
Certain Blood Markers May Indicate Early Signs of Kidney Disease, EurekAlert, October 8, 2015
Study Finds Existence of Protein in the Blood Can Be Early Predictor of Kidney Disease, Medical Xpress, October 19, 2015