A kidney test result that appears perfectly normal may still reveal hidden danger, according to a major new study involving more than a million adults.
Even small differences in kidney function, including values that still fall within the normal range, may reveal who is at greater risk of developing chronic kidney disease. That is the conclusion of a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in Kidney International. Based on the findings, researchers have created a web-based tool designed to support earlier detection and help prevent disease before it progresses.
Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 10-15 percent of adults worldwide and is becoming an increasingly serious public health challenge. By 2040, it is expected to rank among the five leading causes of years of life lost globally. One major problem is that there are no widely adopted screening programs, meaning many people are diagnosed only after losing more than half of their kidney function.
New Approach to Measuring Kidney Disease Risk
To improve early detection, the research team developed population-based reference charts for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the most commonly used indicator of kidney function. The goal is to give physicians a better way to recognize patients who may be at elevated risk and intervene sooner.
“We were inspired by the growth and weight charts used in pediatrics, which intuitively help clinicians identify children at risk of obesity or undergrowth,” says the first author of the study, Yuanhang Yang, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet.
Web-Based eGFR Calculator for Doctors
The researchers have made the eGFR reference charts publicly available to healthcare professionals. They also developed an online calculator, created by PhD student Antoine Creon, that allows clinicians to compare a patient’s eGFR with expected values for people of the same age.
