Normal Range of GFR

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measurement of how the kidneys are work. The test result of GFR will be provided to your health care providers to evaluate your kidney condition and determine what your treatment plan should include. A patient with kidney disease should understand their health condition so they need to the meaning of their GFR test result. Remember, in different labs the reference values of GFR may differ, so you will need to know the normal results of your laboratory.

What is GFR? What is the normal range of GFR?

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is defined as the sum of filtration rate of all filtering units of kidneys called as nephrons. A blood sample is sent to laboratory. Serum creatinine will be factored with age, race, height and weight to calculate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Normal range of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) will decrease with age increasing. The result of GFR will confirm how much the kidneys have been damaged and the stage of chronic kidney disease. The normal range of GFR is above 90ml/min. A GFR result of 60 to 90ml/min is an abnormal condition, indicating stage 2 chronic kidney disease; but the diagnosis should be made on the basis that the patient has any of the following evidence of kidney disease:

☆Proteinuria or hematuria

☆A genetic diagnosis of kidney disease, for instance, known to have a disease such as Polycystic Kidney Disease

☆Evidence of abnormal kidney structures, such as Reflux Nephropathy, renal dysgenesis, etc.

A GFR test result below 60ml/min is a warning sign for stage 3 chronic kidney disease. A GFR lower than 15ml/min indicates in kidney failure wherein dialysis or kidney transplant will be needed.

Clinical significance of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Monitoring the trends and changes in GFR over a period of time can help to observe the course of your disease. A decrease of GFR indicates progression of underlying kidney disease. An improvement of GFR may indicate that the kidneys are recovering part of their kidney function. In progression course of chronic kidney disease, GFR reduces and wastes such as urea and creatinine will be accumulated in the body. An underlying renal damage may go unnoticed for years. GFR will detect abnormal reduction of kidney function. The earlier kidney disease is detected, the better chances in slowing down kidney progression and restoring functions of the kidneys.