People with Type 2 diabetes should be concerned with their kidney function, but current testing is woefully insufficient. A new tool is changing everything.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects nearly 36 million people. “CKD is a real public health crisis, and one that’s steadily rising,” said Merlin Thomas, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., FRACP, a professor of medicine in the Department of Diabetes at Monash University in Melbourne. “CKD causes more deaths in the United States each year than breast cancer or prostate cancer.”
Merlin Thomas, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., FRACP
Professor of Medicine, Department of Diabetes, Monash University (Melbourne)
The danger is even greater for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D), because diabetes is one of the main causes of CKD. These patients have traditionally faced two challenges when it comes to defending against CKD: Its silent nature, and the inadequacy of the tests used to detect it.
Test limitations
People with T2D usually have their kidney function tested via the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a blood test that checks how well the kidneys are filtering for the body, and urine tests (ACR) that check for the presence of a protein called albumin (a sign of a condition called albuminuria).
“These tests are not ideal for detecting early signs of kidney disease,” Dr. Thomas noted. “By the time your eGFR is in the abnormal range, for example, your kidneys are already fragile, and over half of your kidney function is irreversibly lost.”
The challenge becomes even greater because CKD shows no symptoms until it’s extremely advanced. Declining kidney function often goes undetected until 80% to 90% of all kidney capacity is irreversibly gone.
Early warning
There’s no cure for CKD, and depending on healthcare coverage, treatment can be extremely costly and require frequent visits to the hospital.
Recently, however, Proteomics International developed a new test for CKD called Promarker®D. Currently available in California, with other states to follow soon, PromarkerD is an advanced blood test you can obtain through your regular physician or purchase directly online.
“PromarkerD can identify people who are at risk of developing impaired kidney function before they develop an irreversibly low eGFR or have elevated albumuria,” Dr. Thomas said. “This enables you to slow kidney function decline early enough so that you can reduce your lifetime risk of kidney failure.”
PromarkerD works by detecting proteins in the blood released by kidneys that are in distress, but before function is decreased. These results are combined with other factors to provide a “risk score” showing the likelihood of developing kidney disease in the next four years.
A positive result means patients can work with their physician to apply lifestyle adjustments and medications that can slow down the progression of kidney disease significantly, delaying the onset of CKD by years.
Easy to use
Considering the benefits, PromarkerD represents a low-cost and easy to use option for people living with T2D. After answering some basic eligibility questions, the test is ordered online, a requisition form is downloaded, and an appointment is made at a participating collection center where blood is taken. The results are then sent to both the individual and the referring doctor.
For Dr. Thomas, this is an incredible opportunity. “As a nephrologist, I always say what I would love to happen in the future is that a patient never has to see a nephrologist,” he added. “I’d like nephrology completely out of business.”
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