DaVita.com GFR Calculator
If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), your kidneys are slowly losing their ability to function properly. The good news is that your kidneys can do a fairly good job even when they’re not working at 100 percent. In addition, there are actions you can take to help your kidneys function as long as possible, thus delaying dialysis.
Kidney disease has five stages which are determined by your glomerular fitration rate (GFR). The first step in determining a treatment plan for kidney disease is to establish what stage of kidney disease you are in. As time goes by, your doctor will continue to monitor your disease and adjust your treatment according to your stage and your lab results. Before you can find out your stage of kidney disease you must know your glomerular filtration rate.
How stages of chronic kidney disease are determined
Creatinine is a waste product resulting from muscle activity. Healthy kidneys remove creatinine from the blood, but as kidney function deteriorates, the level of creatinine rises. To determine the level of creatinine in your blood, your doctor will run blood tests
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) indicates how well your kidneys are cleaning your blood and is used by your health care team to determine your stage of kidney disease. Your creatinine level and a mathematical equation are used to estimate your GFR. In addition, your age, race and gender are considered in the GFR calculation.
Once your GFR is known, the stage of the disease can be determined. Below are descriptions of the five stages:
Stage |
GFR Level |
Description |
Stage 1 of chronic kidney disease |
90 mL/min or more |
Healthy kidneys or kidney damage with normal or high GFR |
Stage 2 of chronic kidney disease |
60 to 89 mL/min |
Kidney damage and mild decrease in GFR |
Stage 3 of chronic kidney disease |
30 to 59 mL/min |
Moderate decrease in GFR |
Stage 4 of chronic kidney disease |
15 to 29 mL/min |
Severe decrease in GFR |
Stage 5 of chronic kidney disease |
Less than 15 mL/min |
Kidney failure |
Determining your GFR
Knowing your glomerular filtration rate and stage of chronic kidney disease will help your health care team give you the best treatment for the stage of CKD that you’re experiencing.
Your kidney doctor can tell you your GFR after your routine blood work has been performed. You can also use the DaVita GFR Calculator to estimate your glomerular filtration rate and to keep track of your results over time. This calculator is for use by adults and will require the following information from you:
Information requested |
Reason |
Age |
GFR decreases with age and disease. |
Serum creatinine |
Your doctor will order blood work that shows your creatinine level. As your kidney function slows, your creatinine level rises. |
Gender |
Because men usually have more muscle mass than women, the calculation is adjusted based on your gender. |
Race |
Medical literature states that blacks usually have more muscle mass than other ethnicities, so the calculation is adjusted based on your race. |
After submitting information, the GFR calculator will estimate the glomerular filtration rate. You can track your results and discuss your GFR trend and changes in your stage of chronic kidney disease with your doctor. Always consult a physician for more information about your kidney disease and any other medical conditions you may have.
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