need KIDNEY question answered?My dr has referred me to a kidney center. my GFR came back 53.44 and in 2008 is was 59.00. should i be concerned?? I am 39 years old, 5 foot 1 tall and 118 pounds. caucasion
does this mean i have a kidney disease or is it more likely nothing?
Posted by Big Willy
Weird : it means you're getting younger and lighter every year.
At this rate you have 38 more yoears before re-entering the womb.
Posted by TrumpetGurliee
Your glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measure of how well your kidneysare filtering wastes from your blood. Your GFR has been 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 you get older, the average GFR number drops. However, a low GFR with a value below 60 suggests some kidney damage has occurred. This means that your kidneys are not working at full strength.Your doctor will use your GFR number as one clue to how well your kidneys are working. Your doctor will also look at other factors, including:
* protein (albumin) in your urine
* diabetes
* high blood pressure
Depending on these factors, your doctor may decide that you have chronic kidney disease. If you have chronic kidney disease, controlling your diabetes or high blood pressure can help prevent more damage to your kidneys and other problems like heart attacks and strokes.
Posted by tigerpurrr
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working. Specifically, it estimates how much blood passes through the tiny filters in the kidneys, called glomeruli, each minute.
The blood sample is sent to a lab, where the creatinine level is tested. The lab specialist uses combines your creatinine level with several other factors to estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Different formulas are used for adults and children. The formula will include some or all of the following:
Age
Creatinine measurement
Gender
Height
Race
Weight
The GFR test measures how well your kidneys are filtering a waste called creatinine, which is produced by the muscles. When the kidneys aren't working as well as they should, creatinine builds up in the blood.
Your doctor may order this test if there are signs that your kidneys are not working properly. It may also be done to see how far kidney disease has progressed.
The test is recommended for people with chronic kidney disease and those at risk for it due to:
Diabetes
Family history of kidney disease
Frequent urinary tract infections
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Urinary blockage
Normal Results
According to the National Kidney Foundation, normal results range from 90 - 120 mL/min. Older people will have lower normal GFR levels, because GFR decreases with age.
Normal value ranges can vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about what your specific test results mean.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Levels below 60 mL/min for 3 or more months are a sign of chronic kidney disease. Those with GFR results below 15 mL/min are a sign of kidney failure.
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but can include:
Excessive bleeding
Fainting or feeling light-headed
Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Considerations
Posted by thewendyjx
I would do what ever they tell you to do and more so. You need to join the National Kidney Foundation and do as much reading on kidneys as you can fast. My husband lost both of his because of a misdiagnosis and doctors putting his appointments off till it was too late. He is now stuck on dialysis and can't get transplant. So please get all the information you can if you do not like what one says keep trucking till you find one that fits and feels right. I by no mean want to scare you but want you to nip this in the butt before it has a chance to start up. Kidneys are a precious lifesaving gift they can take time out but once they are gone they are gone for good.
Posted by Dr. House
It means you need additional testing such as BUN/Creatinine monitoring. A drop in GFR means that the functionality of your kidneys is decreasing, as it is filtering less blood. Another possibility, of course, is that there may be decreased blood flow to the kidneys due to a variety of pathologies including renal artery stenosis.
Orignal From: need KIDNEY question answered?
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