Diabetes - Creatinine

Creatinine measurements are useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of kidney disease in patients commencing renal replacement therapy, affecting 40% of diabetics (type 1 and type 2). The RENAAL (Reduction of Endpoints in NIDDM with the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan) study risk score for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) emphasizes the importance of the identification of elevated SCr, alongside other renal markers, in the prediction of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) development in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nephropathy.

According to the National Institutes of health, the overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is approximately 14% 2. Creatinine is the most commonly utilised assay in the assessment of renal function 3. The National Kidney Disease Education Program recommends calculating GFR from SCr. Creatinine measurements are useful in the monitoring of disease progression, with the diagnosis of renal failure when SCr levels are greater than the upper normal interval.