Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and Muscle Mass in Older Patients: Diagnostic Accuracy of Creatinine-Based Equations and Implications in Practice

The study by Carnevale et  al compared the different methods used to measure estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with the estimated total skeletal muscle mass (eTSMM) and highlighted the high degree of variability.1 The decline in muscle mass or sarcopenia that occurs with aging renders the value of serum creatinine as a poor estimate of eGFR, especially in the frail old, a fact demonstrated decades ago.2 In particular, the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study included only a limited number of older adults, as acknowledged by the authors, in a comparison of the MDRD formula with the Cockcroft-Gau lt (C-G) formula and the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations; the lack of concurrence or divergence of eGFR values while using these formulae poses limitations when they are applied specifically in older adults.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - March 1, 2020 Category: Health Management Authors: Thiruvinvamalai S. Dharmarajan, Jinil Yoo Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research