GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE (GFR)

What is GFR?

GFR is glomerular filtration rate. This is a measure of the kidney's ability to filter. This gives an estimate.

Various methods to measure GFR. The nephrologist may ask you to collect urine for 24 hours. Urine and serum creatinine concentrations were measured. By using a mathematical formula with urine creatinine and serum Creatinine This can determine your GFR. There are more scientific methods (inulin clearance, iothalamate clearance) to measure kidney filtration, but they are not widely used in clinical practice.

A normal GFR value for the healthiest person is 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 or higher. However, it can be lowered up to 60-89 mL/min without kidney damage. Normal GFR values vary with age, sex, and body size. However, lower GFR values over a period of more than three months, along with other symptoms such as persistent protein in the urine indicate early kidney disease. Also, GFR, which is < 60 mL/min for more than three months, indicates chronic kidney disease (CKD).

What is the function of the GFR test?

This examination will help the doctor find disorders in the kidney organ. This test will estimate how much blood is passing through the glomerulus.

The doctor will perform this procedure in a simple way, which is to use the creatinine level through a blood test. Next, the creatinine level is entered into the GFR calculator.

The GFR calculator is a mathematical formula to calculate the filtration rate with a number of information, such as creatinine level, age, weight, height, gender, and race.

So, it is not rare that this medical procedure is also referred to as an eGFR examination or estimated glomerular filtration rate.