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CHICAGO, Jun 25, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A new Loyola University Health System study says about 300,000 Americans with Type 2 diabetes may have kidney disease that's not being identified.
The study, published in June 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, said traditional screening strategies for kidney disease are insufficient. Researchers found 30 percent of adult diabetic patients with kidney disease don't have retinopathy (eye disease) or albuminuria (protein in urine), factors physicians associate with chronic kidney disease due to Type 2 diabetes.
The resulting delay in diagnosis and treatment during the next 10 years is expected to double the number of U.S. patients with kidney failure. By 2010, the cost of end-stage renal disease may exceed $28 billion annually.
Researchers suggest physicians estimate the glomerular filtration rate using serum creatinine, a measurement of kidney function, in addition to screening for presence of albuminuria and diabetic retinopath. A decrease in the kidneys' filtering capacity always occurs before kidney failure.
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
