A new effective and accurate diagnostic kit has been developed to screen for early-stage kidney disease, with a correctness rate of 94%, a sensitivity rate of 96%, and a specificity rate of 97.8%. This screening method has been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been proposed for inclusion in the gold card scheme to make it more accessible to the public.

 

Dr. Nattachai Srisawat, a researcher at the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine, mentioned that data reported by the Ministry of Public Health in 2021 showed a total of 1,007,251 chronic kidney disease patients, with the number continually rising. The increase is attributed to poor eating habits and consumption of medication for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

According to Dr. Nattachai, the early stages of chronic kidney disease often show no symptoms. Current screening methods require patients to visit hospitals despite the short testing time, resulting in travel expenses and inconvenience, especially for those living in remote areas. The research team developed a screening kit to detect albuminuria, which indicates the onset of chronic kidney disease, with financial support from the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI). The study involved 2,313 volunteers aged 60 years or older with diabetes or high blood pressure, reported Khaosod.

 

By Nattapong Westwood

Top photo caption: Photo Courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/new-kidney-disease-test-kit-offers-94-accuracy-eases-early-diagnosis-access

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-06-08

 

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One wonders if this test will be rolled out, if it is cheap enough, to all diabetics in the country.  As a diabetic the kidney functions and levels are checked every time I see my endocrinologist at BNH in BKK.  With Kidney disease something us diabetics have to worry about if this test does what the article says it can do, it might just be a game changer.

16 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

it might just be a game changer.

Agreed IF it is made widely available.  We must wait to see if Anutin  can make any money out of it 1st.