Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Symmetric Dimethylarginine: Improving the Diagnosis and Staging of Chronic Kidney Disease in Small Animals.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Relford, Roberta et al.
- Affiliation:
- Companion Animal Group Medical Organization · United States
Plain-English summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common problem in cats and dogs, and it usually gets diagnosed only after a significant amount of kidney function is lost, which is indicated by rising creatinine levels in the blood. However, a new test that measures a substance called symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) can detect kidney issues earlier because its levels go up before creatinine does, and it isn't affected by the pet's body size. This SDMA test is now considered a helpful tool for veterinarians to diagnose and manage kidney disease more effectively. It has even been included in guidelines for treating both early and advanced stages of CKD. Overall, this test can improve how we identify and treat kidney problems in pets.
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition in cats and dogs, traditionally diagnosed after substantial loss of kidney function when serum creatinine concentrations increase. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a sensitive circulating kidney biomarker whose concentrations increase earlier than creatinine as glomerular filtration rate decreases. Unlike creatinine SDMA is unaffected by lean body mass. The IDEXX SDMA test introduces a clinically relevant and reliable tool for the diagnosis and management of kidney disease. SDMA has been provisionally incorporated into the International Renal Interest Society guidelines for CKD to aid staging and targeted treatment of early and advanced disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27499007/