Human study · Aging · 14 Nov 2026
In 9,316 older adults, a cystatin C kidney reading lined up with higher mortality when creatinine looked normal
Source: BMC Geriatrics
What the research found
A two-cohort analysis of CHARLS and HRS was published online on 14 November 2026. It included 9,316 adults aged 65 years or older whose creatinine-based filtration rate was at least 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The abstract does not give a sex split. A low cystatin C-based rate, under 60, was present in 3,130 people (33.6 percent). The mortality analysis had 8,384 people and 1,411 deaths. Hazard ratios were 1.44 (95 percent CI 1.19 to 1.74) in CHARLS and 1.62 (95 percent CI 1.39 to 1.89) in HRS. After a further adjustment for physical function, the ratios were 1.26 (95 percent CI 1.02 to 1.55) and 1.34 (95 percent CI 1.06 to 1.70). The same reading lined up with later difficulty in daily activities (hazard ratios 1.10 and 1.28) and with mortality after that difficulty had begun (1.32 and 1.57). Cardiovascular results differed between the two cohorts. An association in aging cohorts. The authors say a small indirect estimate does not show a causal path. DOI 10.1186/s12877-026-08539-8. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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