A groundbreaking study from NYU Langone Health has unveiled a significant disparity between two widely used biomarkers for assessing kidney function. This mismatch—between creatinine and cystatin C measurements—may serve as a potent harbinger of increased risks of kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. For decades, the medical community has relied predominantly on blood creatinine tests to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a crucial measure indicating how effectively kidneys are filtering metabolic waste. However, cystatin C, a protein produced uniformly by all nucleated cells, has emerged over the past years as a valuable biomarker less influenced by muscle mass and other confounders, promising a more nuanced perspective on renal health when used concurrently with creatinine.
The study, encompassing an extensive cohort of over 860,000 subjects from diverse nationalities, represents the most comprehensive analysis to date investigating the discordance between creatinine- and cystatin C-based eGFR estimates. This large-scale meta-analysis, part of the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium’s global initiative, meticulously accounted for variables known to distort biomarker readings beyond kidney function itself, such as obesity, smoking habits, and cancer history. Participants underwent simultaneous measurement of both creatinine and cystatin C levels, with subsequent longitudinal follow-ups averaging 11 years, allowing researchers to delineate the long-term clinical implications of biomarker discordance.
What the researchers found was striking—more than a third of hospitalized patients displayed a cystatin C-based eGFR that was at least 30% lower than their creatinine-based eGFR. This sizeable discrepancy signals that creatinine alone may significantly overestimate kidney filtering capacity in a notable proportion of the population, particularly among the elderly and patients burdened with chronic illness. Dr. Morgan Grams, a leading nephrologist and co-corresponding author, emphasizes that accounting for both biomarkers reveals “blind spots” inherent in relying solely on one test, enabling earlier and more accurate detection of kidney impairment that might otherwise go unnoticed.
From a clinical standpoint, this dual assessment strategy holds transformative potential. Kidney function evaluation is pivotal for safe pharmacotherapy, including dosing of nephrotoxic cancer drugs, antibiotics, and a myriad of other medications cleared through renal pathways. The misclassification of kidney health risks could lead to suboptimal treatment regimens, jeopardizing patient safety. Furthermore, the study’s findings demonstrated a clear association between significant cystatin C-based eGFR reductions relative to creatinine levels and elevated risks of heart disease, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. This suggests that cystatin C may capture pathological processes extending beyond renal filtration, potentially reflecting systemic inflammation, vascular injury, or other aging-related mechanisms.
Despite cystatin C’s recognized clinical value and recommendations from Kidney Disease—Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) since 2012 endorsing its use, adoption in routine clinical laboratories has lagged dramatically in the United States. The study reveals that less than one percent of hospitalized Americans undergo cystatin C testing, underscoring a critical gap between evidence-based medicine and actual practice. This underutilization persists despite recent availability of in-house cystatin C assays at major laboratory service providers such as Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp, signaling a pressing need for heightened clinician awareness and infrastructural incorporation.
The Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium’s collaborative network spans several continents and academic institutions — including NYU Langone Health, University of California San Francisco, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, and others — enabling a comprehensive global perspective on kidney disease trends and prognostic markers. Their findings echo growing international concerns over the rising prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), now ranked as the ninth leading cause of death globally. Early and accurate detection through improved biomarker use may allow timely therapeutic interventions that avert progression to dialysis-dependent renal failure or transplantation.
Importantly, the research highlights that the subgroup exhibiting pronounced cystatin C-creatinine discordance faced disproportionately severe kidney disease outcomes. This group’s propensity for advanced CKD requiring renal replacement therapy and higher mortality rates solidifies the clinical relevance of monitoring both biomarkers. Additionally, individuals presenting seemingly normal creatinine-based eGFR but substantially lowered cystatin C readings may constitute a hidden population at insidious risk—patients who could benefit from preemptive management strategies.
Technically, the superiority of cystatin C lies in its independence from confounding factors commonly impacting creatinine, such as muscle mass variability, diet, and physical activity levels. These influences frequently compromise the accuracy of creatinine measurements in elderly or chronically ill patients with altered muscle composition. Contrastingly, cystatin C production is stable and less susceptible to such biological interferences, granting it enhanced specificity to genuine kidney filtration rates. The discordance observed consequently may reflect both renal and extrarenal pathological states, offering a more holistic risk assessment tool.
The implications for policymaking and clinical guidelines are substantial. Integrating cystatin C measurements into routine kidney function evaluation could revolutionize diagnostic algorithms, risk stratification, and treatment paradigms for millions worldwide. Healthcare systems and providers should prioritize the expansion of cystatin C testing accessibility and clinician education to harness its full prognostic utility. Dr. Josef Coresh, co-corresponding author and director of NYU Langone’s Optimal Aging Institute, stresses the urgent imperative to bridge the gap between current underuse and the clear benefits conferred by incorporating cystatin C into standard renal function panels.
Summary findings presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual Kidney Week and published simultaneously in JAMA further reinforce the call for a paradigm shift in renal diagnostics. This landmark work not only uncovers critical limitations of longstanding clinical practices but also charts an innovative course for more precise, personalized kidney care. In an era of precision medicine, leveraging complementary biomarkers like creatinine and cystatin C emerges as a vital strategy to uncover early disease trajectories, tailor therapies effectively, and ultimately improve patient survival and quality of life.
As CKD prevalence escalates and cardiovascular complications remain the leading cause of morbidity in kidney patients, these insights promise to reshape nephrology practice globally. With cystatin C testing now more broadly available, clinicians have at their disposal a powerful tool to identify vulnerable patients earlier, guide medication dosing with enhanced safety, and intervene before irreversible organ damage occurs.
In conclusion, this study, backed by the National Institutes of Health and the National Kidney Foundation, catalyzes a critical reevaluation of kidney function assessment standards. It exemplifies the value of international scientific collaboration and integrative biomarker research in tackling one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. Moving forward, the integration of cystatin C and creatinine testing could serve as a new gold standard for nephrological evaluation and cardiovascular risk mitigation, unlocking new frontiers in patient care and disease prevention worldwide.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Discordance In Creatinine-and Cystatin-C-Based eGRF and Clinical Outcomes
News Publication Date: 7-Nov-2025
Web References: 10.1001/jama.2025.17578
Keywords: Nephropathies, Renal failure, Heart disease, Heart failure, Biomarkers
