The Cutting Edge Veterinary Podcast

STUDENT(S): Lauren Cody and Isabella Hul
FACULTY MENTOR(S): Dr. Serge Chalhoub

ABSTRACT

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in cats and dogs and increases in prevalence with age. Elevated serum creatinine (sCr) has traditionally been used for CKD diagnosis, however it has many limitations. sCr has a low sensitivity to diagnose early CKD, it is impacted muscle mass, and it has a high interindividual variability (1). This impacts our ability to diagnose early CKD and monitor late stages of CKD. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a new renal biomarker which can be used in conjunction with sCr to increase diagnostic power. Veterinary studies have shown that SDMA increases at 20-40% of renal dysfunction compared to creatinine increasing at ~75% renal dysfunction (2, 3). This allows for earlier diagnosis before clinical signs which is critical to maximize treatment outcomes and patient quality of life. SDMA does not appear to be affected by muscle mass, making it a more useful marker in late stage CKD (3). The International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) has created a staging system based on serum SDMA and creatinine levels. There are further sub-stages based on blood pressure and proteinuria. Staging and substaging allows clinicians to tailor monitoring, treatment, and prognosis to the patient's needs, thus improving quality of care and maximizing disease outcome (2, 4).

Release date:

29 September 2024