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Biomarker library / Kidney and liver

eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) (eGFR)

Also called estimated GFR, kidney function test, creatinine-based GFR

eGFR estimates how many milliliters of blood your kidneys filter per minute, calculated from your blood creatinine (sometimes with cystatin C), age and sex. It is the standard single number for kidney function.

Written by the VitalDecades editorial team Reviewed by the editorial review process Updated

01  /  Reference ranges

What counts as normal

Scale in mL/min/1.73m². Cut points from the sources listed below.
Population Adults
Category G1: normal or high (CKD only with damage markers)
Range 90 or higher mL/min/1.73m²
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Population Adults
Category G2: mildly decreased (CKD only with damage markers)
Range 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73m² Common with normal aging; without albuminuria or other damage markers this is not kidney disease.
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Population Adults
Category G3a: mild to moderate decrease
Range 45 to 59 mL/min/1.73m² Under 60 for more than three months defines CKD.
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Population Adults
Category G3b: moderate to severe decrease
Range 30 to 44 mL/min/1.73m²
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Population Adults
Category G4: severe decrease
Range 15 to 29 mL/min/1.73m² Nephrology referral; planning for possible kidney failure care.
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Population Adults
Category G5: kidney failure
Range under 15 mL/min/1.73m²
Source KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD

Effective

Normal vs optimal

In adults a normal eGFR is usually above 90, and it declines with age (the NKF cites averages falling from 116 in the 20s to 75 at 70+). An eGFR of 60 to 89 without any marker of kidney damage is not chronic kidney disease; with damage markers it is stage 2.

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02  /  Why it matters

What the number tells you

Chronic kidney disease is usually silent until it is advanced, and it multiplies cardiovascular risk. KDIGO defines CKD as an eGFR below 60, or markers of kidney damage such as albumin in the urine, persisting for more than three months. The stage drives everything downstream: medication dosing, how often to test, and when to see a nephrologist. One low reading is not a diagnosis; the number must persist across three months.

03  /  In practice

Testing and what moves it

When it is tested

  • Part of the basic metabolic panel at most physicals, and at least annually with diabetes or hypertension, the two main causes of CKD.
  • Pair with a urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR): eGFR alone misses early damage.
  • NKF advises re-testing within three months to confirm a low result before staging.

What raises it

  • eGFR rising back toward baseline usually reflects recovery from dehydration or an acute illness rather than the kidneys improving beyond their baseline.
  • Low muscle mass can make eGFR read higher than true filtration (less creatinine produced).

What lowers it

  • Chronic damage from diabetes and high blood pressure; glomerular disease; polycystic kidney disease.
  • Temporarily: dehydration, NSAIDs, recent heavy exercise or high meat intake (creatinine bump), some medications that block creatinine secretion without harming the kidney.

04  /  Related

Read next

Fasting plasma glucose FPGHemoglobin A1C A1CALT (alanine aminotransferase) ALT

Frequently asked questions

Is an eGFR of 60 to 89 kidney disease?

Not by itself. KDIGO stages 60 to 89 as G2, mildly decreased, and it only counts as chronic kidney disease when a marker of kidney damage (most often albumin in the urine) is also present for over three months. eGFR also declines normally with age.

Can I improve my eGFR?

You can protect it: blood pressure and glucose control, avoiding regular NSAID use, and, in established CKD, medications your clinician may add (ACE inhibitors or ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors). A dip from dehydration or an NSAID can recover; scarred kidney tissue does not regrow.

Why does the lab need my age and sex for eGFR?

The equation estimates filtration from creatinine, which tracks muscle mass; age and sex are stand-ins for that. Since 2021 US labs use the CKD-EPI equation without a race term.