American Kidney Fund Hosts Webinar for Health Professionals on the Use of Cystatin C in Kidney Function Testing

ROCKVILLE, Md. (May 3, 2021)  — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced a webinar, Cystatin C: Its utility as an alternative for creatinine-based eGFR , to educate healthcare practitioners about the cystatin C testing option for kidney health and help them effectively communicate about testing options to patients. The webinar, sponsored by Gentian Diagnostics, will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 from 1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. ET.

Cystatin C is a protein used as a biomarker for kidney function. When a healthcare practitioner suspects a patient may have decreased kidney function, a cystatin C test may be ordered to help assess how well the kidneys are filtering. Measurement of serum cystatin C is gaining a greater role in the estimation of kidney function, particularly as the kidney community considers moving away from the current race-based eGFR equation which depends on creatinine measurement.

"Cystatin C can play an important role in providing an unbiased estimate of kidney function so that every individual may receive personalized, appropriate and equitable care," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO. "With the support from Gentian Diagnostics, AKF is pleased to host a professional webinar to help educate prescribers and allied health professionals about the use of cystatin C to assess kidney function."

The webinar will feature panelists globally respected in their fields of study, including:

• Amy Karger , MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota
• Josef Coresh , MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University
• Michael Shlipak , MD, MPH, professor of medicine, University of California San Francisco
• Michelle Estrella , MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine, University of California San Francisco
• Moderator: Silas Norman , MD, MPH, co-medical director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, University of Michigan, director of the Transplant Multi-Specialty Ambulatory Clinic and member of the AKF Board of Trustees

During this interactive webinar, the multidisciplinary panel of experts will delve into the utility of the cystatin C test in diagnosing kidney disease. They will discuss why cystatin C could help eliminate racial bias and improve precision in treatment; the importance of educating the nephrology community on cystatin C; situations in which measuring cystatin C may be clinically useful; and the effort to encourage laboratories to bring this testing in-house.

"The pandemic has highlighted the criticality of clinical diagnostics, and the potential value that can be unlocked by innovations contributing to diagnostic efficiency," said Dr. Hilja Ibert, CEO of Gentian Diagnostics. "Gentian is proud to partner with the American Kidney Fund on this important topic and help support their mission in fighting kidney disease."