Help!

[bootsboots]

I am 77 years old. Stage 3B. I think. My GFR has remained stable for the last 5 years or so, at 45. I had lab work done yesterday, and the results are very concerning. Apparently my GFR is now 34 . My last lab was six months ago, and it was at 45. I have done nothing different, except I have lost about 20 pounds, but I was trying to eat less. How could the GFR drop that much when it has been stable all these years, and the only thing I am doing differently is eat less. And I cannot find what stage 34 is, nor can I find a chart giving "normal" GFR for my age. Thanks for any ideas

[bumblebee_tuna]

At eGFR of 34 you should probably see a nephrologist and do some additional kidney function tests. Many things can affect eGFR so the test should be repeated.

[bootsboots in reply to bumblebee_tuna]

Ok. Thanks

[S_dillow]

ddavitas website or nkf has a chart on it along with good info.let 6our nephrologist figure out the cause.

[vinadhun2]

Do you have any other issues like Diabetes or high BP or high cholesterol?

Are you obese? Are you leaking protein in urine?what about levels of various electrolytes?

I am 76 and my creatinine has been at 1.9 since last 5 years. I have none of the above issues and I had met nephrologist who has told me to simply monitor as he feels this could be due to old age

[bootsboots in reply to vinadhun2]

No--none of the above

[vinadhun2 in reply to bootsboots]

Then I think that it must be like me i.e. due to old age

lastly are you doing heavy work outs or take lot of protein?

[Chris2023]

It could have simply been you had a high protein meal the night before, did a bit more exercise or were dehydrated. They should repeat. EGFR can vary all day long, that's why they look at several tests over time to see a trend.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

If it were me, I would ask my doctor to repeat the lab work. A lot of times, as Chris2023 said, just even being a little dehydrated, ate a meal the night before that contained a lot of protein, etc. can effect your eGFR/creatinine. With CKD they look at the results to see a trend, not a sudden dip. That is why the labs need to be repeated.

If the repeat results are the same, I would definitely see a nephrologist.

[bootsboots in reply to WYOAnne]

Okay. Thank you

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Hi, Make sure the night before your labs you are not eating red meat, or anything high in protein like legumes. Do not do any strenuous exercise the day or two before. That will raise your creatinine and skew your GFR. Make sure that the day before you are drinking enough fluids and are hydrated. Then the day of the lab, have only 8 ounces of fluid before the lab. See what happens.

[barbara55109]

Age related kidney functioning loss is very common. "According to recent estimates from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, more than 50 percent of seniors over the age of 75 are believed to have kidney disease." Here are some resources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

betterhealth.vic.gov.au/hea...

jamanetwork.com/journals/ja... - this one indicates "Using the same level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to define chronic kidney disease (CKD) regardless of patient age may classify many elderly people with a normal physiological age-related eGFR decline as having a disease."

journals.lww.com/cjasn/full... - this one indicates "Arguably, the eGFR criteria for CKD diagnosis should be age adapted, in order to account for the normal physiologic age-related decline in eGFR and avoid overdiagnosis of CKD in the elderly."

Read the tips shared with others and ask for another eGFR test. If I were 77 with a 45 or 34 eGFR and no other related conditions or symptoms (no abnormal albuminuria) I wouldn't worry. Odds are I'm not even going to make it until 77.

[bootsboots in reply to barbara55109]

Thanks