Tracking Kidney Health: A New Way with Sweat and Saliva

Scientists are working on a different way to keep an eye on how well your kidneys are working. Instead of drawing blood, which can be unpleasant, they're looking at sweat and saliva. These are easier to collect and could be used to monitor kidney function continuously. A special test called LC-MS/MS was created to measure very low levels of creatinine in sweat and saliva. Forty patients on haemodialysis had their creatinine levels checked in sweat, saliva, and blood. The new test was super accurate (93. 9-97. 8%) and consistent (3.4-8%). Interestingly, creatinine levels in sweat and saliva matched those in blood (ρ: 0. 68 and 0. 80, respectively). During dialysis, creatinine levels dropped in all three fluids at the same time. This suggests that sweat and saliva could be reliable alternatives to blood tests for checking kidney function. This study also helps us understand more about how creatinine leaves the body and paves the way for future developments like wearable sensors for constant kidney health monitoring.