Advances in renal imaging have raised the possibility that

nephron number in the human kidney could be accurately determined non‑invasively

during life. Nephron endowment is established before birth and inter‑individual

variation is thought to influence susceptibility to renal disease later in

life. Reduced nephron number has been associated with compensatory

hyperfiltration, increased glomerular pressure, and progressive nephron loss

over time.

What would be the most significant clinical impact of being

able to determine nephron number in a living individual?