Seeking Better Predictors for Kidney Failure

New research suggests there may be a better way to predict which people with kidney disease are most at risk for kidney failure. This can lead to the need for dialysis. Doctors now measure kidney function mainly with a blood test for creatinine, a waste product. One new study combined this test with two others. The study included 26,643 people in another health study. They received blood tests for creatinine and for cystatin C, another waste product. They also got tests for excess protein in the urine. This is called albuminuria. These three tests were a better predictor of kidney failure than creatinine alone. The other study included 8,500 people with kidney disease. Researchers compared two computer models for predicting who was most likely to go into kidney failure. One model included creatinine, albuminuria, age and sex.