REAL-WORLD ASSESSMENT OF METABOLIC AND RENAL HEALTH IN INDIAN ADULTS WITH NEODOCS KIDNEY CARE KIT

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and obesity are major public health concerns in India. Rising obesity and diabetes are driving the earlier onset of metabolic CKD. The ICMR-INDIAB study found obesity rates of 28.6% (general) and 39.5% (abdominal) in the Indian population, with higher prevalence in urban areas (1). The changing lifestyles, dietary habits, and genetic predisposition to metabolic syndrome contribute to increased risk. Regular assessment of obesity and diabetes can be challenging due to limited access to medical facilities. Neodocs Kidney Care test kit helps overcome this barrier by providing convenient, accurate and accessible home-based testing for early detection of risk.

A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 197 individuals from August-Sept. 2025. Participants were recruited voluntarily from community outreach efforts. The Neodocs test card and the in-house developed mobile application were used for the study. Testing was conducted in a home-based setting, allowing users to conveniently dip the test card in a urine sample and scan it with a smartphone to analyse the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The app allows for the entry of diabetes status, weight, and height before testing to facilitate stratified analysis of CKD biomarkers.  Anonymized and securely encrypted data were collected by cloud-based monitoring. KDIGO guideline-based risk categories were used. uACR was classified as A1 (normal) <30 mg/g, A2 (moderate) 30–300 mg/g, and A3 (severe) >300 mg/g. eGFR (G1-G5) was integrated according to CKD staging for further clinical stratification. BMI was calculated using standard formulae (kg/m²) and categorised as per WHO criteria.

Of the 197 patients included in this study, 73% were males and 26% were females, with a mean age of 40.0 years. CKD staging showed a predominance of early-stage disease; 70% were classified as A1, 16% as A2, and 13%  as A3. 54 patients (27%) had diabetes (A1: 38, A2: 8, A3: 8) while 144 patients (73%) were not diabetic. Analysis of BMI indicated substantial metabolic risk, with a cohort mean BMI of 26.76 ± 6.63 kg/m² (range 12.1–72.25). Categorically, 39% were overweight, 36% had normal weight, 20% were obese, and 4% (n=8) were underweight. Among diabetic patients, the mean BMI was 27.59 ± 7.62 kg/m², with a median value of 27.12 kg/m². Statistical analysis using the chi-square test shows no significant link was found between CKD stages and diabetes (p=0.8), but revealed a significant BMI difference (p=0.04) between diabetic and non-diabetic users. This indicates obesity and diabetes are spread across CKD stages, not linked to the advanced stage. 60% of the study group were overweight or obese, and 27% had diabetes, indicating the coexistence of metabolic risk factors with early-stage CKD.

CKD screening with the NeoDocs Kidney Care kit demonstrates the feasibility of capturing data on metabolic disorders, including overweight, obesity, and diabetes, in a real-world setting. High BMI and diabetes were commonly observed across CKD risk stages, without clear clustering in the advanced stage. These results emphasise the value of integrated metabolic and renal risk assessments in community screenings. Larger cohort studies are needed to further enhance preventive care strategies.