Cystatin C and Race-free GFR Estimation: Evaluating both clinical guidelines and laboratory perspectives on more widespread implementation

The use of algorithms that alter patient medical care based on race has fallen under increasing criticism, as race-based medicine has been shown to contribute to healthcare disparities. In response, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and American Society of Nephrology (ASN) formed the “Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases”. One of the primary recommendations of the final report (September 2021) was to “facilitate increased, routine, and timely use of cystatin C", as eGFR based on cystatin C alone has never relied on a race parameter to estimate GFR.

 

Given recommendations by ASN-NKF Task Force to increase use of cystatin C, two key perspectives are discussed:

(1) the current state of cystatin C assay performance and standardization, as well as the barriers and potential strategies to aid in more widespread implementation of cystatin C testing in clinical laboratories.

(2) the clinical evaluation of cystatin C results under the new recommendations, and differences in eGFR values compared to the former guidelines using serum creatinine values.

 

This webinar is designed for clinicians and laboratorians interested in learning more about this area of Cystatin C and Race-free GFR Estimation, particularly those new to this field or in need of a refresher.

 

Learning Objectives