Test for Kidney Disease could also warn of potential Pre-diabetes

A blood measurement of cystatin C, which is used for testing for early-stage kidney impairment, could also be a warning flag for a person developing pre-diabetes. A study by the University at Buffalo reported that persons with high levels of cystatin C had a three-fold risk of developing pre-diabetes. The researchers first reported their study in the July 2007 issue of Diabetes Care.

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood glucose levels are over 100 and under 126. Pre-diabetes is important to treat before it becomes a permanent Type 2 diabetes, which is known to increase problems with heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.

“It’s important to identify people at risk of pre-diabetes very early, because you can prevent this condition from developing by making changes in diet and lifestyle,” said Richard P. Donahue, Ph.D., first author on the study.
Cystatin C is also sometimes called Cystatin 3 or CST3 and is a serum protein that is used to measure glomerular filtration rate of the kidneys. This test is a more precise test of kidney function than the standard creatinine test.

“If further studies support our finding, testing for cystatin C could become an important part of a standard physical examination. Preventive measures could be in place before glucose intolerance has a chance to develop and take its toll.”

“Pre-clinical signs of renal impairment may occur before or coincident with pre-diabetes,” Donahue said. “These findings may suggest that those who have pre-diabetes also should be screened for early signs of kidney impairment, which itself is a major chronic illness and cause of much morbidity and mortality.”

source:www.bestsyndication.com