Assessment Of Renal Function In Hypertensives And Diabetics Using Plasma Cystatin C

📄 Project Abstract

The alarming occurrence of renal failure in both old and young in this environment has been credited mainly to hypertensive nephrosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. At the early stages, the renal insufficiency, caused by these disease conditions can be arrested or deterred. Until now, serum creatinine/creatinine clearance has been the analyte of choice in the assessment of renal function. Recent findings have suggested that cystatin C is a better marker of the GFR and renal function, compared to the widely used plasma creatinine. This study therefore aimed at assessing the GFR of newly diagnosed hypertensives and diabetics using plasma cystatin C. Methods This was a case-controlled study made up of forty consecutive patients (twenty hypertensives and twenty diabetics, patients who had both were excluded), and forty apparently healthy age- matched controls. Plasma cystatin C and plasma creatinine were measured in the eighty respondents and their GFR was estimated using the Cockcroft an...