Blood test
(IN PHOTO)Blood samples wait to be processed at Biobank, the world's largest blood and urine sample freezer near Manchester, northern England, in this March 18, 2010 file picture. Francis Collins, who helped map the human genome, did not get around to having his own genes analyzed until last summer. And he was surprised by what he learned. Collins has a predisposition for type-2 diabetes, something he had never suspected. The lanky, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) discovered this through tests offered by Navigenics, 23andMe and DecodeMe -- companies that charge customers a few hundred dollars for a peek at their genetic makeup. Picture taken March 18, 2010. To match Special Report SCIENCE/GENOME REUTERS

Common kidney function test could predict the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure, stroke and heart attacks, suggests a recent study published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Kunihiro Matsushita, an assistant scientist in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology, “If health care providers have data on kidney damage and kidney function which they often do, they should be using those data to better understand a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Matsushita is of opinion that people suffering from chronic kidney disease are more at risk of developing heart disease than those whose kidney function is normal. Also, estimation of cholesterol and blood pressure might not be the best indicators to gauge the cardiovascular risk. He adds, “This study tells us we could do even better with information that often times we are already collecting.”

Estimation of serum creatinine and serum albumin are the two blood tests which help in diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. The amount of creatinine in the blood, the waste product of metabolic activities in the muscles indicates the efficiency of the kidneys in filtering it out, the process of which is called GFR or glomerular filtration rate. Albumin, a protein whose increased amounts in the blood indicates that the patient has damaged his/her kidneys.

For their meta-analysis, the researchers studied the data obtained from Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium which included 24 studies. The 637,315 participants involved in these studies had no previous history of any heart disease. The estimation of eGFR and albuminuria in these individuals led to the conclusion that these tests enhanced prediction of heart failure and death from heart attack and stroke.

Although, the study was not able to establish a proper link between the kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, Matsushita explains that the fluid overload caused due to insufficiency of kidneys can lead to heart failure. He concludes as, “In populations with chronic kidney disease, the simultaneous assessment of eGFR and albuminuria could facilitate improved classification of cardiovascular risk, supporting current guidelines for chronic kidney disease. Our results lend some support to also incorporating eGFR and albuminuria into assessments of cardiovascular risk in the general population.”

To contact the writer, email:ruchira.dhoke@gmail.com

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