Kidney Disease

­Albuminuria Is Associated with Kidney and Cardiac Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

Men with type 1 diabetes and albuminuria have 3-times the risk of kidney and cardiac disease than men with normal albumin levels, according to new research.

Chronic high levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP), a chemical secreted with copeptin during urination, may predict the risk of vascular and kidney damage. However, AVP is difficult to measure due to its small size and short half-life. For this reason, the researchers measured the levels of copeptin as a surrogate.
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To conduct their study, the researchers recruited 38 men with type 1 diabetes and albuminuria matched with 38 men with diabetes but no albuminuria from the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange Biobank in the United States.

Their analysis showed that copeptin levels were 3 times higher in men with albuminuria than in men without albuminuria.

These high levels of copeptin were associated with a greater risk of albuminuria and impaired glomerular filtration rate, used to measure kidney function and stages of kidney disease.

“Vasopressin exerts important cardio–renal effects, but remains problematic to measure,” the researchers concluded. “Copeptin is a more stable peptide derived from the same precursor molecule. In this case–control study from the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange (T1DX) Biobank registry, men with [type 1 diabetes] and albuminuria had greater copeptin concentrations than men with normoalbuminuria.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Bjornstad P, Johnson RJ, Snell-Bergeon JK, et al. Albuminuria is associated with greater copeptin concentrations in men with type 1 diabetes: a brief report from The T1D Exchange Biobank [published online December 6, 2016]. J Diabetes Complications. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2016.11.015.