Revolutionizing Chronic Kidney Disease Management on World Kidney Day

Toronto, March 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, as the world marks World Kidney Day, LifeLabs, in exclusive partnership with Klinrisk, proudly announces a groundbreaking advancement in chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening and management: the inclusion of the Klinrisk Score as a validated equation in the prestigious Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease, which was released yesterday.

CKD affects millions worldwide, with approximately 1 in 10 Canadians battling this condition. LifeLabs, Canada's leading provider of laboratory diagnostic services, has partnered with Klinrisk Inc. to bring this innovative tool aimed at finding CKD progression risk early to Ontario and British Columbia.

The Klinrisk Score is a guide for proactive care designed to assess the risk of CKD progression early, including in individuals who are disease-free today. Developed in collaboration with leading experts, Klinrisk utilizes an artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI-ML) approach to predict a decline in kidney function or failure across all CKD stages, empowering individuals and healthcare providers with valuable insights.

LifeLabs and Klinrisk are poised to revolutionize CKD management. They will provide an accurate assessment of kidney health for millions affected by this disease, which can, in turn, help guide treatments, medical decisions, or referrals to nephrologists.

"We are delighted to share that the Klinrisk Score has been recognized as one of the externally validated equations in the KDIGO CKD Guideline," said Dr. Navdeep Tangri, President and Scientific founder of Klinrisk. "The inclusion of the Klinrisk Score in this seminal global guideline emphasizes its alignment with global best practices in kidney care and attests to its scientific rigour and accuracy. Together with LifeLabs, Klinrisk is poised to transform CKD management and improve outcomes for the millions affected by this debilitating disease."

LifeLabs' mission is to empower our customers and champion proactive healthcare solutions. LifeLabs will promote the Klinrisk test throughout March to raise awareness about the importance of regular testing in managing kidney health. As part of this initiative, LifeLabs has worked with pharmaceutical partners to sponsor the tests for patients in Ontario who are interested in being proactive about their kidney health so that they can take the test at no charge for a limited time until May 3, 2024.

"We are proud to be part of shaping the future of kidney health with initiatives such as Klinrisk, which offer the potential to mitigate the substantial burden on healthcare, both financially and in terms of patient well-being," said Lawrence Mahan, SVP of Commercial, Business and Consumer Markets at LifeLabs.

To learn more about Klinrisk and its role in kidney care, please visit the LifeLabs website https://www.lifelabs.com/test/klinrisk-score

Per KDIGO 2024 CKD Guideline on Klinrisk:

"Risk prediction models developed in populations with later stages of CKD are not accurate in CKD G1?G2, whereas alternative, accurate, externally validated risk prediction equations have been developed for predicting 40% decline in eGFR or kidney failure at all stages of CKD. Given the potential utility of these new models to identify high-risk people for early intervention, they should be used to predict disease progression in people with CKD G1?G2 and may supplement established risk equations among patients with CKD G3"

About LifeLabs

LifeLabs is Canada's leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling customers and healthcare practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. We support 20 million customer visits annually and conduct over 100 million laboratory tests through leading-edge technologies and our 6,500 talented and dedicated employees. We are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives. We operate Canada's first commercial genetics lab and the country's largest online customer portal, with more than 5 million Canadians receiving their results online. LifeLabs has been named Canada's most trusted brand in medical diagnostics by BrandSpark (2023 and 2024), one of Canada's Best Employers (2021, 2022 and 2023), and Best Employers for Diversity (2022 and 2023) by Forbes and recognized for having an award-winning Mental Health Program from Benefits Canada. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian-owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at lifelabs.com.

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• LifeLabs Klinrisk Score