Indigenous kidney test

Indigenous kidney test

AM - Saturday, 19 July , 2008 08:18:00
Reporter: Sara Everingham

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Researchers in Darwin hope a new study will improve the early detection test for kidney disease among Indigenous Australians.

They say the current test can be inaccurate for Indigenous Australians because it's based on the body shapes of Americans.

Per head of population the Northern Territory has the highest rate of kidney disease in the world and the researchers say improved early detection could ease the strain on the health system.

Sara Everingham reports.

SARA EVERINGHAM: In Australia, it's Indigenous people who are most likely to suffer from kidney disease.

But the director of renal services in the Northern Territory, Dr Paul Lawton, says the detection of early kidney damage among those most likely to have it can be very difficult.

PAUL LAWTON: The tests that we use to measure kidney function currently are based on studies from the United States about 10, 15 years ago.

These studies were done on African Americans and white Americans, but we know that Aboriginal Australians have a different body size and shape to African Americans or to white Americans.

And we know that the tests of measurement of kidney function depends upon on body size and shape. As a result, we know that there are inaccuracies with the measurement of kidney function, particularly early kidney damage, when we apply these tests particularly to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Dr Lawton and the Menzies School of Health Research are beginning a study they hope will make the test more accurate for Indigenous people.

The researchers are asking about 600 Indigenous people to take part. They'll start in the Top End, but the researchers are also seeking participants in Central Australia, Northern Queensland and the northern and central parts of Western Australia.

Those who take part will have to go through four hours of tests.

PAUL LAWTON: Where we accurately measure kidney function and take measurements of body size and shape.

This will allow us to look at the performance of different ways of measuring kidney function more accurately against a test that we know measures kidney function very accurately but is very time intensive.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Why is it important to detect signs of kidney disease early?

PAUL LAWTON: Kidney disease is a silent disease. By the time people get sick, the damage has already been done and they will need to start dialysis treatment or have a transplant.

SARA EVERINGHAM: With transplants scarce, most need dialysis. In Australia, Aboriginal people are four or five times more likely to develop kidney disease, but in the Northern Territory they're closer to 10 times more likely to get it.

In fact, Dr Lawton says per head of population, the Northern Territory has the highest rate of people needing dialysis in the world.

Kidney Health Australia says keeping someone alive on dialysis costs $60,000 a year. But Dr Lawton says in the Northern Territory the costs can be even higher.

PAUL LAWTON: And may be as high as $100,000 per year in many cases, particularly when factoring in problems of remoteness.

Dr Lawton hopes this study will result in fewer people needing dialysis.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Sara Everingham reporting.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2308465.htm