HOW TO MEASURE YOUR GFR AND AVOID CKD
Focus on healthy habits instead of your exact eGFR number
Calculate your GFR (given age, sex, creatinine level)
EXAMPLE
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AGE = 72
SEX = MALE
CREATININE = 1.56 mg/dL
GFR ?47
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Use the chart below to determine which CKD stage best matches your GFR calculator results and click on the stage to learn about healthy next steps.
Kidney damage with normal kidney function
eGFR of 90 or higher
Mild loss of kidney function
eGFR of 60–89
Mild to moderate loss of kidney function
eGFR of 45–59
Moderate to severe loss of kidney function
eGFR of 30–44
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Severe loss of kidney function
eGFR of 15–29
STAGE?5?- END STAGE RENAL DISEASE (ESRD)
Kidney failure or close to kidney failure?
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It is normal for your eGFR number to go down as you get older. Also, if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), the damage that happens to your kidneys cannot be reversed. For these reasons, it is very unlikely that your eGFR number will ever go back up.
So, instead of focusing too much on your eGFR number, focus that energy on finding steps you can take to maximize your healthy habits and improve your kidney health. Taking steps now can help slow down or stop your CKD from getting worse (eGFR number going down).
Engage in physical activity
Regular?physical activity?brings many health benefits - better blood pressure, lower stress levels, better sleep, improved muscle strength, and healthier weight. All these things can also help your kidneys stay healthy.
Stop smoking and/or using tobacco products
Using?tobacco products?increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and many other health problems. These products harden your blood vessels and slow the blood flow to important organs like your kidneys. This makes it harder for your kidneys to do their job. Studies also suggest that even secondhand smoke (breathing in smoke that is breathed out by people who smoke or from burning tobacco products) can increase the risk of kidney disease.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet
A?healthy and balanced diet?provides the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals you need each day. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all “healthy diet” - everyone has different tastes and preferences. In general, a “healthy and balanced diet” that helps prevent your CKD from getting worse means eating:
Be?aware of diets or meal plans that promise to cure or reverse your kidney disease. Such a diet does not exist. Instead, there are diets that can help you integrate the recommendations above into your daily routine. The?DASH diet?is one example.
If you have more questions about how you can make your diet healthier for your kidneys, working with a?kidney dietitian?is a great way to get advice that is tailored specific to you.
Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar levels within target ranges
High blood pressure?and?high blood sugar levels?both increase the amount of stress placed on your kidneys. They can also damage the little filters that are found in your kidneys causing scar tissue and further kidney damage. This type of damage cannot be reversed. So, keeping your blood pressure and blood sugar levels within the target ranges recommended by your healthcare professional can really help your kidneys stay healthy.
Maintain a healthy weight
As your weight goes up, the amount of stress placed on your kidneys goes up too. This is especially true if you have?obesity. If you are overweight or have obesity, losing weight through a balanced diet, physical activity, and sometimes medication can help keep your kidneys healthy and improve your overall health.
Consider medicines for “kidney protection”?
If you have CKD, your healthcare professional may prescribe one or more medicines to help slow down or stop it from getting worse. These medicines include an?ACE inhibitor/ARB, an?SGLT2 inhibitor?and/or an?nsMRA. Sometimes a combination of these medicines may be needed.
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