DR. ADAM STATEN - GP VIEW AND RED FLAG SYMPTOMS
The kidneys perform a number of essential functions including removing waste products from the blood, regulating blood pressure, and maintain the correct levels of electrolytes in the blood stream. They can be damaged by infections, inherited or acquired diseases, by toxins and by medications.
Because kidney disease often causes no symptoms in the early stages, it can easily go undetected. This test measures your ‘estimated glomerular filtration rate’ or eGFR. This is worked out by a calculation based on the level of a waste product called creatinine in our blood, your age, your ethnicity, and your sex. The eGFR is basically a score of how well your kidneys are functioning. Above 90 is considered normal, above 60 is generally considered acceptable, and below 60 is usually considered to be kidney disease.
Whilst it is possible to have kidney disease with a normal eGFR, a normal result is generally reassuring. eGFR does commonly decline with age so a low eGFR may not represent a significant problem but it is useful to know because it will affect which medications, and what dosage of medications, might be right for you, and may also influence decisions about how to treat other thing such as your cardiovascular risk and your blood pressure.
Red flag symptoms for the Advanced Kidney (Renal) Function Blood Test
Even if the blood test is normal, you should still see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms below.
- Swollen around the ankles, eyes or abdomen
- Lower than expected urine output
- Passing a lot more urine than normal
- In men; symptoms of difficulty passing urine, getting up more than usual at night to pass urine, or being unable to fully empty your bladder
Your Results and Health Dashboard
The results of your Advanced Kidney (Renal) Function Blood Test will be emailed to you as a secured PDF file, ready for your GP and will also be uploaded to our Health Dashboard area of the website. It’s a unique and powerful tool, powered by our in-house clinical analysis research, to match your biomarkers across test panels and symptoms, as well as provide clinical commentary on all individual biomarkers you tested for.
The health dashboard will also provide "panel level" commentary - a birds eye view of the biomarkers that were tested. This feature allows you to view your test results and clinical commentary, and compare them to previous results, giving you a clear understanding of how your health is progressing.
By using the Health Dashboard, you can identify changes in your biomarkers and make necessary adjustments to your lifestyle. This added value is immense, as it empowers you to monitor your health and make informed decisions about your well-being.
It's free and is available with all of our tests.