Proteomics diabetes test reshapes how doctors manage kidney risk
Brought to you by Bulls and Bears
Doug Bright
Proteomics International Laboratories has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in the Internal Medicine Journal highlighting the effectiveness of the PromarkerD blood test in Australia.
Despite findings announced yesterday that PromarkerD effectively predicted the risk of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) up to four years ahead of time, including in high-risk indigenous Australian populations, the study showed how the test is reshaping doctors’ decision-making.
The web-based study surveyed 178 Australian GPs and specialists and presented them with real-life patient scenarios involving type 2 diabetes. It found that risk scores from PromarkerD, presented as a blinded “Test X”, significantly changed the clinical decisions made by Australian doctors.
High risk scores in the results led to a 20-30 percent increase in doctors’ intentions to prescribe kidney-protective treatments, including SGLT2 inhibitors, which help preserve kidney function by reducing glucose reabsorption.
‘PromarkerD provides actionable information that can meaningfully change the way clinicians manage patients with type 2 diabetes.’
Dr Richard Lipscombe, managing director of Proteomics International Laboratories
High-risk symptoms also raised the possibility of prescribing other kidney treatments, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure and reduce pressure on the heart. The drug is also commonly used for hypertension and heart failure.
Other kidney-protective medications in the doctor’s toolbox include statins for cholesterol management as well as ARB receptor blockers, which can help control blood pressure and protect the kidneys.
Both ACEs and ARBs block the effects of the Angiotensin II hormone, allowing blood vessels to relax and dilate, thus reducing blood pressure and the workload of the heart. ACE inhibitors block the enzyme that makes Angiotensin II, while ARBs block Angiotensin II from its receptors.
Angiotensin II is an important regulator of blood pressure and fluid balance. Regarding kidney function, it constricts blood vessels, increases blood pressure and triggers thirst. This increases water intake and forces the kidneys to retain salt and water, which increases blood pressure and volume.
Dr Richard Lipscombe, managing director of Proteomics International Laboratories, said: “This new Australian study reinforces growing evidence that PromarkerD provides actionable information that can meaningfully change the way clinicians manage patients with type 2 diabetes.”
Intermediate-risk patients also made notable adjustments to treatment, with clinicians optimizing dosages or reducing exposure to potentially kidney-damaging drugs.
While high-risk PromarkerD scores led to more frequent follow-up every 3-6 months with specialist referrals, low-risk scores accordingly reduced the need for patient follow-up.
Senior author Professor Merlin Thomas, nephrologist and Professor of Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, said PromarkerD offers the opportunity to identify people at risk of chronic kidney disease much earlier, before signs of clinical decline appear.
He added that when clinicians are shown intermediate- or high-risk PromarkerD results, they are much more likely to initiate kidney-protective treatments and increase the frequency of monitoring. They also became more cautious about using medications that could harm the kidneys, such as ibuprofen, compared to cases where they did not have PromarkerD results.
These changes may also help prevent or delay the progression of kidney failure and reduce the need for interventions such as dialysis or kidney transplant, he explained.
Specifically, 89 percent of physicians believed PromarkerD would improve clinical outcomes; More than 85 percent thought it was helpful in guiding decisions and potentially reducing health care costs.
The company says the results reflect positive findings previously reported in the United States. They also highlight PromarkerD’s role in meeting the unmet need for early detection of diabetes-related kidney disease in the 1.5 million adults with diabetes in Australia.
As diagnostic tools like PromarkerD improve, they offer renewed hope for better managing the risks of diabetes and kidney disease in all populations, enabling earlier interventions and improved long-term outcomes for millions of people worldwide.
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