A New Way to Diagnose Kidney Disease

Having an accurate eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) result is essential for managing kidney disease. 

In partnership with the American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) task force, the National Kidney Foundation released a report in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD) and the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) that outlines a new approach that significantly reduces the chance of patient bias when diagnosing kidney disease. 

The NKF and ASN urge all laboratories and healthcare systems nationwide to adopt this new approach so that we can move towards a consistent method of diagnosing kidney diseases that is independent of race. 

With input from hundreds of patients, health care professionals, and other stakeholders, the team developed an updated formula for calculating an individual’s eGFR, a blood test value used to diagnose kidney disease.  This new formula will allow laboratories, clinicians, patients, and public health officials to make informed decisions to ensure equity and personalized care for patients with kidney disease. 

“This recommendation by the NKF-ASN Task Force is an important step forward in assuring health and healthcare equity. We commend the task force for the time, thought, thoroughness, and effort it took to explore this issue deeply and recommend the best path forward for us all,” said NKF President Paul M. Palevsky, MD, FASN, FNKF. 

While the work of the task force is an important initial path forward, both of our organizations are committed to continuing to work to eliminate disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease.

Visit the NKF newsroom to read more about this exciting advancement