What is a normal eGFR and when should I worry?
eGFR estimates kidney filtering from your creatinine, age and sex. Above 90 is full function, 60 to 89 is mildly reduced and common with age, and persistently below 60 for three months defines chronic kidney disease.
One low result is not a verdict: dehydration, recent heavy exercise, creatine supplements and even a protein-heavy meal skew creatinine.
A confirmed declining trend matters more than any single value; it earns a urine protein check and blood pressure attention. Below 60 that persists, or any rapid fall, needs a doctor's plan; below 30, a kidney specialist.
Source: KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Chronic Kidney Disease
See a doctor promptly if
- Passing much less urine than usual, or none at all
- A sharp fall in eGFR over days to weeks rather than years
- Visible blood in the urine, or heavy frothy urine with swollen ankles and face
- Breathlessness with swelling and a known low eGFR
- An eGFR below 30 that you have not yet discussed with a doctor
- New confusion, vomiting or a very low urine output during an illness
What your eGFR number means
| Result | In short | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90 and above | Normal (G1) | Full filtering. Values above 100 are common in younger adults and mean nothing worrying on their own. |
| 60 to 89 | Mildly reduced (G2) | Very common from midlife on and not called kidney disease by itself. It only counts as disease if urine protein or a scan shows damage too. |
| 45 to 59 | Mild to moderate (G3a) | Worth confirming on a repeat at least three months later. Earns a urine albumin test, a blood pressure review and a look at any medicines the kidneys clear. |
| 30 to 44 | Moderate to severe (G3b) | Needs a named plan: blood pressure target, medicine review, and usually a referral discussion. Most people at this level feel completely well. |
| 15 to 29 | Severe (G4) | Specialist kidney care. Planning starts here, well before anything is needed, which is the whole point of finding it early. |
| Under 15 | Kidney failure (G5) | Specialist management, with dialysis or transplant planning. |
| One low result, out of the blue | Repeat it | Dehydration, a hard workout, a protein-heavy meal and creatine supplements all push creatinine up and eGFR down. A single reading is not a diagnosis; the trend across three months is. |
One result is a snapshot. Ranges differ a little between labs, and what a number means depends on the rest of you. Check it against the guidelines.
Try the eGFR calculatorneeds a creatinine result, free, nothing to installThe 2021 CKD-EPI equation, which is the one in current use, with the stage your number falls in.
Look up another result
A result is rarely the only one on the page. Each of these gives the bands, in both unit systems, and what happens next.
- Albumin to creatinine ratio6 bands
- ALT result5 bands
- B12 result5 bands
- Bilirubin result6 bands
- Blood pressure reading8 bands
- Blood sugar targets, and how much age changes them6 bands
- Calcium result8 bands
- Cholesterol ratio6 bands
- CRP result5 bands
- Cycle length5 bands
- Why claims get denied, and the move for each7 bands
- Why they happen, and which ones matter6 bands
- Your resting pulse, counted sitting quietly6 bands
- Your training zones by age, in beats per minute8 bands
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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