SDMA

SDMA — The Standard for Kidney Function Assessment

An earlier, more sensitive, and reliable indicator of decreased renal function in comparison to creatinine.

Diagnose Kidney Disease Earlier

SDMA is an earlier biomarker of loss of kidney function, increasing when there is an average 40% loss. Creatinine, however, does not increase until there is a 75% or greater decrease in kidney function. Furthermore, SDMA is less affected by extra-renal factors, such as dehydration or loss of lean muscle mass, making it a more reliable and sensitive indicator for loss of kidney function than creatinine.

SDMA can be increased in acute kidney injury (AKI) and with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both dogs and cats. The importance of measuring SDMA is highlighted by its inclusion in the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) guidelines (iris-kidney.com) for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring chronic kidney disease.

SDMA diagnostic and treatment algorithm

Antech SDMA is a renal biomarker for early diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of chronic kidney disease (CKD). SDMA complements RenalTech, which can predict CKD onset two years before disease occurs. Together, SDMA and RenalTech give veterinarians the first complete solution for feline CKD prediction, early diagnosis, monitoring, and staging, ensuring they can support the best possible outcome for cats.

What is SDMA?

Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a methylated form of the amino acid arginine. It is freely filtered by the kidneys and accurately correlates with glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the gold standard for assessing kidney function.

Gold-Standard Accuracy and Quick Turnaround Times

  • Gold-standard reference laboratory accuracy
  • Delivered at the same time as all other chemistry and hematology results
  • Correlates with Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and other commercial offerings
  • Canine and feline

SDMA in practice

It is imperative to evaluate kidney function biomarkers, including creatinine and SDMA, continually. Additionally, conduct a complete urinalysis to determine if there is a pre-renal, renal, or post-renal cause of the patient’s azotemia, including increased SDMA (refer to the Antech SDMA Algorithm for more information).

Azotemia and increased SDMA can occur due to pre-renal causes, such as dehydration, and post-renal causes, such as urethral obstruction. In both scenarios, the decrease in GFR may be treatable and does not necessarily signal a sustained or progressive loss of kidney function. If the decrease in kidney function biomarkers is determined to be renal in origin, SDMA is an earlier, more sensitive, and reliable biomarker than creatinine for diagnosing and monitoring of kidney disease in dogs and cats.

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RenalTech® and SDMA: Predict, Diagnose, Stage, and Monitor CKD in Feline Patients 

For feline patients, RenalTech offers the ability to predict with greater than 95% accuracy whether or not a cat will develop chronic kidney disease within two years. Upon receiving a positive RenalTech status, SDMA can then be used to track a cat’s progression toward chronic kidney disease, and subsequently to stage and monitor the disease.

Discover more about RenalTech® and all it has to offer

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