Urinary Biomarkers Of Kidney Function As Predictors Of Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review.

Purpose of review: The growing burden of cardiovascular diseases has become a significant concern in both adult and youth populations. Urinary biomarkers of kidney function could provide useful insights that may aid in the early identification of individuals at higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This systematic review aimed to assess associations between urinary biomarkers of kidney function and different measures of cardiovascular health.

Recent findings: PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost were searched for articles published between January 2018 and December 2023. Studies exploring associations between urinary kidney biomarkers (alpha-1 microglobulin (uA1M), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL), uromodulin (uUMOD) and CKD273 classifier) and measures of cardiovascular health (blood pressure and markers of target organ damage) were included. We identified 1186 articles, with 22 studies eligible for inclusion. Among 12 studies reporting associations between uA1M and measures of cardiovascular health, six studies indicated positive associations with office blood pressure and three studies observed associations with different markers of target organ damage. Out of the nine studies that explored the link between uUMOD and cardiovascular health parameters, four found negative associations between uUMOD and blood pressure. With regard to uNGAL, only two out of the seven studies analysed reported varying associations with blood pressure, while neither of the two studies focusing on CKD273 observed any statistically significant results. Biomarkers of kidney tubule function, represented by uA1M and uUMOD, are relevant in the setting of cardiovascular health and should be assessed for utilisation in clinical practice to identify adverse cardiovascular outcomes at an early stage allowing for timely intervention.