June 25, 2003 - According to a study published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), current screening tests for kidney disease miss an estimated 300,000 Americans who have the illness - many of them diabetics.

"By estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using a simple blood test, we can detect kidney disease and implement intervention early," says Dr. Holly J. Kramer, a nephrologist at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., and lead author of the study. Summary from HealthCentral.com.

Related articles and web pages:

• "Renal Insufficiency in the Absence of Albuminuria and Retinopathy Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus" - abstract from JAMA
  
  
  
• Diabetic Kidney Disease Often Missed - article from WebMD
  
  
  
• GFR Calculator - from HDCN
  
  
  
• GFR Calculator - from Nephron.com

[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 06-25-2003).]