Utility of cystatin C for estimating glomerular filtration rate in patients with muscular dystrophy: A good agreement with inulin clearance

Abstract

Emerging concerns regarding heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden death in patients with muscular dystrophy are of significant clinical importance. On the other hand, little attention has been paid to renal dysfunction because these patients have low serum creatinine levels. Serum cystatin C, unaffected by muscle quantity, is a potentially superior marker for estimating renal function. Here, we present cases with muscular dystrophy in which estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by cystatin C (eGFRcys) provided good agreement with simultaneously measured GFR by inulin renal clearance (differences less than 20%). Sudden death with acute heart failure occurred in a patient with underlying renal dysfunction and elevated BNP. Neurologists and cardiologists should evaluate renal function using GFR with cystatin C in patients with muscular dystrophy.