“GFR” stands for
Glomerular Filtration rate
Your GFR is a measure of how well your kidneys are filtering waste from
your blood, and it can be estimated from a routine measurement of creatinine
in your blood.
Creatinine is a waste product formed by the normal breakdown of muscle cells. Healthy kidneys take creatinine out of the blood and put it into the urine to leave the body. When kidneys are not working well, creatinine builds up in the blood.
As people age, GFRs drop. However, a low GFR with a value below 60 suggests that significant kidney damage has occurred. This means that your kidneys are not working at full strength.
It is extremely important for you, especially if you are at high risk, to see your doctor or other healthcare provider once a year and ask about your GFR. Your doctor will use your GFR as a clue toward determining how well your kidneys are working. Other factors include protein (albumin) in your urine and the possibility that you may have diabetes or high blood pressure. |
