Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator - DaVita Kidney Care (2023)

FAQs

What is the most accurate GFR calculator? ›

The DaVita GFR Calculator uses the CKD-EPI Creatinine (2021) equation. The National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology recommend using this equation to estimate GFR.

GFR Number by Age

The normal range of Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate is 100 to 130 mL/min/1.73m2 in men and 90 to 120mL/min/1.73m2 in women below 40. GFR decreases progressively after the age of 40 years.

However, we know that GFR physiologically decreases with age, and in adults older than 70 years, values below 60 mL/min/1.73 m² could be considered normal.

Water ingestion can acutely affect GFR, although not necessarily in the direction one might expect. Using 12 young, healthy individuals as their own controls, Anastasio et al. found increased water intake actually decreases GFR.

Because the "good" creatinine number is different in everyone, GFR is more accurate in determining if your kidneys are ok. Your GFR will help assess your stage of kidney disease.

This is a blood and urine combination collection kit that measures creatinine, albumin, and eGFR levels. To obtain this test kit, you must purchase and register online, and then pick it up at your nearest Labcorp location. You can collect your sample at home, and then drop it back off at the lab.

An estimate of the normal value for your GFR can be obtained by using the equation: GFR = 140 – [your age]. For example, if you are a fit, healthy 30 yr old, your GFR should be approximately 110mls/min.

The standard way to estimate GFR is with a simple blood test that measures your creatinine levels. Creatinine is a waste product that comes from the digestion of dietary protein and the normal breakdown of muscle tissue.

In the general population, approximately 38% of adults aged 70 or older have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m², with most having moderate reductions in eGFR in the 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m² range (1).

Age and Loss of Kidney Function

Kidney function loss by eGFR_cys also appeared to increase with advancing age, ranging from 1.6 (0.06) ml/min/1.73 m²/year in the 65–69 age group to 2.2 (0.13) ml/min/1.73 m²/year among those over 80 years (p < 0.001).

What is a normal GFR for a 65 year old woman? ›

For example, in the healthy population described by van den Brand et al in the Netherlands, low normal eGFR value (defined as the 5^th percentile) is 94 and 85 mL/min/1.73m² at 25–29 years, 67 and 70 mL/min/1.73m² at 50–54 years and 44 and 51 mL/min/1.73m² at 70–74 years, for men and women respectively.

60 to 72 years: 56- to 131 mL/min/BSA.

Some studies have shown that GFR may increase over time in people at all stages of kidney disease by: Controlling blood pressure. You can manage high blood pressure through exercise, diet, stress reduction, and limiting alcohol, among other lifestyle choices. Making sure you're not deficient in vitamin D.

Kidney disease can develop at any time, but those over the age of 60 are more likely than not to develop kidney disease. As people age, so do their kidneys. According to recent estimates from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, more than 50 percent of seniors over the age of 75 are believed to have kidney disease.

How do I get ready for the test? Healthcare providers may tell you not to eat or drink anything, except water, after midnight. You may also be asked not to eat any cooked meat the night before the test. It can increase the level of creatinine in your blood and affect your GFR results.

Consuming multiple cups of coffee a day is likely to be safe for the kidneys in the general population, and is associated with an increase in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), according to findings of a study from the Netherlands.

If you have CKD, your kidneys can't filter blood as well as they should, and this can lead to other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. While it's not possible to reverse kidney damage, you can take steps to slow it down. Taking prescribed medicine, being physically active, and eating well will help.

Beta-Carotene Benefits

Beta-carotene, the water-soluble form of vitamin A in carrots, helps the kidneys filter toxins out of the blood and prevent urinary tract infections, according to Dr. George D.

In a general sense, anything that will decrease a serum creatinine will cause the calculation of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to increase. That does not mean that you can voluntarily do this. If you can promote healing of an acute kidney disease, this might be possible.

The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is variable and it relies on a blood test, which may have day to day variations and it is an "estimation". Hence, the more times you do the test, the more accurate will be the estimate. It can depend on some food that you eat.

Can you test your own GFR? ›

Blood tests typically check urea, eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate), and creatinine and can be taken from home with an at-home lab test.

Blood Tests. Because your kidneys remove waste, toxins, and extra fluid from the blood, a doctor will also use a blood test to check your kidney function. The blood tests will show how well your kidneys are doing their job and how quickly the waste is being removed.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, normal results range from 90 to 120 mL/min/1.73 m². Older people will have lower than normal GFR levels, because GFR decreases with age.

A creatinine level of greater than 1.2 for women and greater than 1.4 for men may be an early sign that the kidneys are not working properly. As kidney disease progresses, the level of creatinine in the blood rises.

When a person with CKD develops a high PTH, a physician may prescribe activated vitamin D to suppress PTH production. Hemodialysis patients will be given a prescription medicine intravenously during their dialysis treatment.

Is Tylenol bad for my kidneys? No. In fact, Tylenol is preferred over other OTC pain relievers if you have kidney problems. As detailed earlier, Tylenol is broken down almost completely by the liver.

Most of these studies have been cross-sectional and have rather uniformly shown that the GFR declines steadily with aging, beginning at age 30–40 years, with an apparent acceleration in the rate of decline after age 65–70 years (^6–9).

Kidney failure can be fatal, and intensive treatment is always necessary. But for anyone who is otherwise in good health, kidney failure may be reversible, and nearly normal function can often be recovered.

Does creatinine go up with age? ›

Findings: Serum creatinine concentration increased steadily with age; in females from the age of 40 years and 60 years for males. Reference intervals for males and females aged from 20 to 94 years were established. Advancing age affects serum creatinine levels, especially in the "vascular" age group of 60 to 80 years.

Dialysis should be instituted whenever the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is <15 mL/min and there is one or more of the following: symptoms or signs of uraemia, inability to control hydration status or blood pressure or a progressive deterioration in nutritional status.

Several drugs, such as cimetidine, trimethoprim, corticosteroids, pyrimethamine, phenacemide, salicylates and active vitamin D metabolites, have been reported to increase plasma creatinine without influencing its glomerular filtration.

Normal Results

A normal result is 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL (61.9 to 114.9 µmol/L) for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL (53 to 97.2 µmol/L) for women. Women often have a lower creatinine level than men.

Calcium entry blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are unique in that they may increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow in patients with hypertension.

High blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney failure. They can also become damaged from physical injury, diseases, or other disorders.

According to current estimates: CKD is more common in people aged 65 years or older (38%) than in people aged 45–64 years (12%) or 18–44 years (6%).

How accurate is calculated GFR? ›

Confidence intervals: The 90% confidence intervals are quite wide, e.g. 90% of patients will have a true GFR within 30% of their estimated GFR and 98% have measured values within 50% of the estimated value.

Estimating GFR begins with a simple serum creatinine blood test. If you're using our GFR calculator, your eGFR is calculated using the results of your blood test, along with your age, ethnicity, and gender. When your eGFR is calculated by your doctor, weight and body size may also be factored into your eGFR.

eGFR is considered a mostly reliable test for doctors to know how well your kidneys are working. However, the eGFR may not be accurate if you are younger than 18, pregnant, very overweight or very muscular.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measure your doctor can take of how well your kidneys are working. You can improve your GFR and your kidney function by looking at your lifestyle, diet, and medications, and making certain changes. Your kidneys are your body's filtration system.

Does it depend on what you eat a few days before your bloodwork? The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is variable and it relies on a blood test, which may have day to day variations and it is an "estimation". Hence, the more times you do the test, the more accurate will be the estimate.

Usually, when the creatinine clearance falls to 10-12 cc/minute, the patient needs dialysis.

Creatinine is 1.25 and eGFR is 46. In a general sense, anything that will decrease a serum creatinine will cause the calculation of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to increase. That does not mean that you can voluntarily do this.

The higher the blood creatinine level, the lower the estimated GFR.

The use of a single eGFR measurement to categorize CKD stage 3 can result in a “false positive” assignment to CKD stage 3 in as many as 30% of subjects (12).

How can I strengthen my kidneys? ›