Staff Reports | Science & Technology
Sonora Quest Laboratories is collaborating with the Arizona and National Kidney Foundations on CKD Insight, a new initiative to improve chronic kidney disease testing, recognition and management.
Chronic kidney disease is a condition where the kidneys become damaged over time, leading to their inability to properly filter the blood of various wastes and fluids that are part of normal bodily function. The most common causes of CKD in the United States are diabetes and hypertension. More than one in seven patients have CKD; however, up to 90% are unaware of their condition.
At Sonora Quest, internal data from 2024 suggests that up to 300,000 patients serviced by our laboratories in Arizona between the ages of 18 and 85 have CKD but may be undiagnosed, according to a press release.
In this program, physician-identified at-risk patients have standing orders placed for a “Kidney Profile,” a panel of two guideline-recommended tests used by physicians to detect and monitor CKD. Patients with physicians that opt-in to the program can visit any Sonora Quest Patient Service Center or in-office phlebotomy location and have these tests automatically fulfilled, the release states.
“This standing-order approach will reduce missed CKD screenings by ensuring high-risk patients get essential tests without extra appointments or delays,” said Dr. Kelly Wilhelms, Sonora Quest scientific director, general laboratory. “The Kidney Profile combines both guideline-recommended tests for CKD, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR), to more quickly identify those patients who are developing or have CKD.”
Early identification of CKD is essential to not only improving clinical outcomes with early intervention but also managing what could be substantial, long-term treatment costs. Patients with CKD have up to three-times greater incidence of cardiovascular disease and those with end stage renal disease must undergo aggressive treatment regimens, to include dialysis or even kidney transplant. In the United States, the cost to treat end-stage renal disease is estimated at up to $120,000 per year, the release states.
“CKD is a silent disease that can be particularly dangerous because symptoms may not be noticeable until significant damage has been done. The kidney damage seen in CKD is irreversible, but fortunately its progression can be delayed or even halted if it is diagnosed early enough and properly treated,” said Leslie McReynolds, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.
“Too many patients don’t receive guideline-compliant screenings and thus miss out on appropriate interventions such as dietary counseling and medications to control diabetes and/or hypertension. Getting both tests offered in the Kidney Profile is the best way to monitor your kidneys for potential damage to ensure you are diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.”
