This newest study was conducted by King’s College London and tested blood and urine samples gathered from 78 participants with type 1 diabetes. Thirty-three of these participants were also showing signs of early stage diabetic kidney disease, also referred to as microalbuminuria. These 33 patients had much lower levels of klotho circulating in their systems, while the remaining participants had levels similar to those seen in healthy adults.
This is the first time that a relationship between Klotho and kidney disease has been established in patients with type 1 diabetes, and researchers hope to eventually use these levels as a diagnostic tool and with further research, enlist klotho in the treatment of kidney disease. Senior author of the study, Dr. Janaka Karalliedde, commented on the potential of these results, “With further research using larger cohorts of patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes we hope to expand the scope of this work and identify at an early stage patients at high risk of progression of kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.”
A better understanding of the relationship between klotho and age-related diseases could improve diagnostic and treatment methods and allow for earlier intervention that could potentially slow the progression of or even prevent these diseases from occurring.
Related: In chronic kidney disease patients, lowering salt intake may benefit heart and kidney health