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Contents
  • The Role of Creatinine
  • Introducing Cystatin C
  • Limitations of Current Tests

How Accurate Is Your Kidney Function Test?

How Accurate Is Your Kidney Function Test?

Testing Insights

Kidney tests are crucial for identifying problems early, but how reliable are they? Let's explore the different methods used to assess kidney function.
Contents
  • The Role of Creatinine
  • Introducing Cystatin C
  • Limitations of Current Tests

The Role of Creatinine

Creatinine is a waste product from normal muscle wear and tear. It's commonly used in blood tests to estimate kidney function because it should be filtered out by healthy kidneys. However, factors like muscle mass and diet can affect creatinine levels, leading to inaccurate results in some cases.

Introducing Cystatin C

Cystatin C is another marker used to estimate kidney function. Unlike creatinine, it's not as influenced by muscle mass or diet, making it a potentially more reliable measure. It's often used as a confirmatory test when creatinine results are inconclusive.
Kidney function tests assess the health of kidneys by measuring levels of waste products like creatinine and cystatin C in the blood.

Limitations of Current Tests

Both creatinine and cystatin C have their limitations and can be influenced by factors unrelated to kidney function. In some cases, direct measurements using filtration markers might be necessary, although these are more complex and time-consuming.

FAQs

Why is creatinine used in kidney tests?

Creatinine levels reflect how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood.

What affects creatinine accuracy?

Muscle mass, diet, and certain medications can impact creatinine levels.

What is cystatin C?

Cystatin C is a protein used as a marker for kidney function testing.

Can tests be inaccurate?

Yes, factors like diet and muscle mass can affect test results.

The Bottom Line

Kidney tests provide valuable insights, but understanding their limitations is key to accurate diagnosis.
Get started: Discuss your kidney test results with Doctronic for clarity and accuracy!
Additional References
  1. Stevens LA, Coresh J, Greene T, Levey AS. Assessing kidney function--measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate. N Engl J Med 2006; 354:2473.
  2. Eriksen BO, Mathisen UD, Melsom T, et al. The role of cystatin C in improving GFR estimation in the general population. Am J Kidney Dis 2012; 59:32.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic.