A new study published in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal has revealed that tests for kidney function can be equally effective at indicating a patient’s risk of heart disease as blood pressure or cholesterol tests.

Researchers used the albuminuria and eGFR test results from 24 previous studies of 637,315 patients with no history of cardiovascular disease. Albuminuria refers to the presence of the protein albumin in a patient’s urine. A high level of albumin is often an indicator of kidney disease. The eGFR test (estimated glomerular filtration rate) tracks kidney function by examining levels of creatine in the blood, and determines the amount of blood filtered by the kidneys each minute. As creatine is almost exclusively filtered out by the kidneys, creatine levels in the blood are a good indicator of kidney function. The researchers concluded that using the results of these two tests would help doctors to more accurately identify the risk of heart failure or heart attacks.

According to the study, half of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease are killed by a cardiovascular condition before reaching their disease’s terminal phase. If the biological link between kidney disease and heart disease is not yet fully understood, it has been noticed that Kidney failure could lead to a fluid overload, which may in turn result in heart failure. Patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure have been recommended by current medical guidelines to undergo these two tests.

Read the full EurActiv article here.