A common protein in the blood can reliably predict a person’s risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) years before symptoms develop, according to a study published Nov. 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers believe the marker—soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR)— will be used in the near future as a screening test, much like cholesterol, to identify at-risk patients who can make lifestyle changes to ward off development of CKD. Currently two markers—estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; based on measuring blood creatinine) and proteinuria—are used to monitor CKD, but they are not sensitive enough to detect the disease in its earliest stages. "For the last century, doctors have relied on creatinine levels and urine protein levels to detect and monitor kidney disease," said lead author Salim Hayek, M.D., from the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute in Atlanta. "These markers are useful in diagnosing kidney disease, but are not helpful in predicting whether a person might develop disease in the future. We need to find a way to identify those at risk, in order to prevent the disease or catch it in its early stages." Severe organ damage can occur with CKD before symptoms even develop and […]