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A genetic and clinical risk factor algorithm to aid in identifying new cases of chronic kidney disease from the

Graham Rodwell1, John P A Ioannidis2,3,4, Stuart K Kim5

  • 1Division of Nephrology, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, United States.

Frontiers in Genetics
|July 23, 2026
PubMed

Insights

A new genetic test, the RICK algorithm, identifies individuals at high risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This tool could help diagnose CKD earlier, improving patient outcomes and healthcare access for many.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Nephrology
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a large population, with 80-90% undiagnosed due to asymptomatic early stages.
  • Current CKD diagnosis relies on risk factors like age, hypertension, and diabetes, delaying identification.
  • Lack of early diagnosis hinders prompt healthcare access for CKD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a genetic test for early chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosis.
  • To create the RICK (RIsk for Chronic Kidney disease) algorithm for identifying at-risk individuals.
  • To improve early detection rates for CKD.

Main Methods:

  • Development of the RICK algorithm, integrating a polygenic risk score with clinical factors.
  • Utilized data from the United Kingdom biobank for algorithm validation.
  • Assessed the algorithm's performance in identifying individuals with CKD.

Main Results:

  • Individuals in the top RICK decile showed a tenfold increased risk of CKD.
  • Approximately 49% of all CKD cases were identified within the highest RICK decile.
  • Targeted creatinine testing in the top RICK decile could increase CKD diagnoses by 7.4% but showed limited value for albuminuria detection.

Conclusions:

  • The RICK algorithm can aid in early CKD identification within the general population.
  • Selective testing based on RICK scores may facilitate earlier access to renal healthcare.
  • Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of RICK-guided testing.
Abstract

Keywords:
chronic kidney diseasegenetic testingkidney disease - diagnosispersonalized and precision medicinepolygenic risk score

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