Article: Decoding Your Lab Results: Understanding Key Kidney Markers
Decoding Your Lab Results: Understanding Key Kidney Markers
eGFR, Creatinine, BUN: These numbers can feel overwhelming. Learn what they mean and how they indicate your kidney’s filtration performance.
Seeing a sheet of lab results with cryptic abbreviations and numbers outside the "normal" range can be anxiety-inducing. The truth is, understanding a few key terms can transform that anxiety into informed action.
Your kidney health is primarily assessed by how efficiently your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood. Here is a simple guide to the three most common blood markers used to gauge kidney performance.
1. eGFR: The Key Performance Indicator
The estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) is widely considered the single most important number for assessing overall kidney function.
What is eGFR?
The eGFR is a calculation that estimates the rate (mL/min) at which your kidneys filter blood.
How It’s Calculated: It uses a mathematical formula involving your Creatinine level, your age, your sex, and sometimes race (though race adjustments are becoming less common).
eGFR is a Percentage: Think of your eGFR as a percentage of your total kidney function. A healthy kidney is generally considered to be 90 or above.
Kidney Disease Staging: Physicians use the eGFR number to place kidney function into stages, from Stage 1 (mild damage, eGFR ≥ 90) to Stage 5 (kidney failure, eGFR < 15).
Remember: eGFR is an estimate and can fluctuate, but a persistently low or declining number is a signal that proactive health measures and medical monitoring are necessary.
2. CREATININE: The Muscle Exhaust Meter
Creatinine is a critical fundamental marker used to check on your kidneys.
What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a normal waste product that comes from the daily breakdown of muscle tissue. It is released into the bloodstream at a relatively constant rate.
Healthy kidneys are designed to efficiently filter all this creatinine out of the blood and excrete it in the urine. Therefore, the amount of creatinine in your blood is a key measure of your kidney's filtering efficiency.
When Creatinine is High: A high level of creatinine in the blood suggests that the kidneys are not filtering efficiently. It's like a car engine where the exhaust fumes are backing up because the filter is clogged.
What Impacts It: Creatinine can be temporarily impacted by high-protein diets, intense weight training (due to increased muscle breakdown), and certain medications.
3. BUN: The Protein Waste Indicator
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) is another waste product that helps provide a comprehensive picture of renal function.
What is BUN?
BUN is the waste product that results from the body breaking down protein from the food you eat and from damaged cells.
Like creatinine, BUN is supposed to be filtered out by the kidneys. If BUN levels are too high, it indicates a filtering problem.
When BUN is High: This usually suggests impaired kidney function. However, BUN is more sensitive to other factors than creatinine.
What Impacts It: Dehydration (which concentrates the blood), very high-protein diets, or gastrointestinal bleeding can also temporarily raise BUN levels, making it a less specific marker on its own.
What to Do With This Information
Empowering yourself with knowledge about these terms is the first step toward advocating for your health.
If your lab results show markers outside the normal range, the best next step is always to schedule a follow-up with your physician or a specialist (nephrologist).
They will look at your history, check for trends over time, and use these indicators to guide treatment decisions, which may include dietary changes, medication adjustments, or a focused supplement regimen.
At Axobotanica, we believe in supporting the body's natural filtration and waste management processes. Our Advanced Kidney Support formula is designed to complement the lifestyle changes recommended by your healthcare team. Check out the research behind our ingredients here.
Explore Our Physician-Formulated Kidney Support Solutions
IMPORTANT MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Your lab results must be interpreted by your healthcare provider, who considers your full medical history, medications, and overall health status. Never adjust your medications or treatment plan based on this information alone.
