Kidney Profile
Measure your blood creatinine, eGFR, and albumin levels that indicate your kidneys' ability to filter waste and toxins. Healthcare providers use this test for the early detection and monitoring of chronic kidney disease. Read more
Your kidneys play a vital role in keeping your body healthy and functioning properly. The main function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood and excrete them in the urine. This process is known as filtration, and it helps to keep the blood free of toxins. The kidneys also manage fluid levels in the body, control electrolyte concentrations in the blood, regulate blood pressure, and stimulate red blood cell production.
Measure your blood creatinine levels, urine creatinine levels, eGFR levels, albumin levels, and provides your Albumin/Creatinine urine ratio. These measurements indicate your kidneys’ ability to filter waste and toxins. This profile helps identify your risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in the diagnosis, staging, or monitoring of CKD.
How it works
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Creatinine-based eGFR may be affected by unstable creatinine levels caused by diet, increased muscle bulk, or loss of muscle.
Additionally, exercise within 24 hours of collection, infection, fever, congestive heart failure, pronounced high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), significant hypertension, an increased amount of white blood cells in urine (pyuria), and blood in urine (hematuria) may cause elevated urinary albumin levels.
Kidney disease is often called a "silent killer" because symptoms do not appear until the advanced stage of the disease. Early detection of CKD is important because it can allow for early treatment, which may help to prevent further damage to the kidneys. Our Kidney Profile can help identify signs of CKD, even before symptoms appear, and is useful for those who:
- Want to know their risk for developing CKD
- Have been diagnosed with CKD and want to monitor disease progression
- Have never had their kidney function tested
- Have type-2 diabetes, hypertension, or both
- Have a family history of CKD
- Smoke, are at an unhealthy weight, or both
- Have a history of kidney infections
- Have an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus or type-1 diabetes
If you’ve been diagnosed with CKD, there are certain lab tests that may be recommended by a healthcare provider based on the stage of the disease. These testing recommendations can help to ensure that your kidney function is being monitored properly and that any changes are detected early. If you have questions about how to manage your kidney disease, talk to a healthcare provider about what’s right for you.
What does my stage mean?
CKD is commonly categorized into 5 stages. The higher the stage, the poorer the kidney function. Healthcare teams and physicians use the CKD stage to help determine individualized treatment options.
There is a close relationship between kidney function and blood pressure. Kidney disease can lead to high blood pressure, and high blood pressure can damage the kidneys.
The kidneys play a vital role in regulating blood pressure by filtering the blood and removing excess fluid from the body. This helps to keep the blood volume at a healthy level, which in turn helps to keep blood pressure from getting too high. However, when the kidneys are not functioning properly, they can’t remove excess fluid from the body and blood pressure can rise. Additionally, the kidneys help to regulate the body’s salt and water balance. When this balance is disturbed, it can lead to high blood pressure.
1 KDIGO 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. J Intl Soc Nephr. 2013;3(1). https://kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/KDIGO_2012_CKD_GL.pdf