Some patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are confused about the
relation between eGFR and CKD. As a matter of fact, eGFR equals GFR. GFR is
short for glomerular filtration rate, which is the most scientific index which
can test kidney function. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) describes the flow
rate of filtered fluid through the kidney. In many countries, chronic kidney
disease patients attach much importance to serum creatinine, considering it as
an important reference. However, internationally, creatinine is not as
scientific as eGFR, for serum creatinine can be influenced by many other factors
such as food which they take in, exercise, and even infection such as catching a
cold or flu.
According to eGFR (GFR), chronic kidney disease can be divided into 5 stages.
The normal range of eGFR (GFR) is 80 to 120 mL/min/1.73m2. In addition, the
index of GFR will decrease by 1 every year after persons are 40 years old. We
can also say that the older we are, the lower the normal index of GFR will
be.
In stage 1, the GFR is more than 90 mL/min/1.73m2.
In stage 2, the GFR is between 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73m2. In this stage, there
is no symptom in clinic and the serum creatinine is also normal for the
compensation ability of kidney. When there are some damaged kidney glomeruli,
other heathy ones will do more work to finish the filtration. So the level of
serum creatinine is normal in this stage. We can also say that, this stage is
compensation stage.
In stage 3, the GFR is between 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73m2. This stage can also be
called discompensation stage for the healthy kidney glomeruli will also be
damaged due to long time excessive work.
In stage 4, the GFR is between 15 to 29 mL/min/1.73m2. At this time, patients
come into renal failure stage, which indicates the function of kidney become to
decline.
In stage 5, the GFR is less than 15, which means that patients with chronic
kidney disease have come into uremia stage, or advanced stage of renal
failure.
