A screen for chronic kidney disease

NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Chronic kidney disease is a serious and progressive medical condition, but people at high risk are not routinely screened, says a U.S. study.

Researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill performed the first study of its kind to develop a tool to identify patients who are most at risk for CKD.

"Kidney disease often occurs in conjunction with a number of other conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, but many patients and their family members are not aware of this association," says Dr. Heejung Bang, assistant professor in the division of biostatistics and epidemiology in the department of public health at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Patients with CKD can be identified early by a test that measures the level of creatinine in the blood -- serum creatinine, a breakdown product of muscle, is elevated in people with impaired kidney function, according to Bang.

Early detection and treatment of CKD can also lessen cardiovascular complications that sometimes occur with the condition, according to the study published in Archives of Internal Medicine.