What is eGFR?
eGFR, which is short for estimated glomerular filtration rate, is good for assessing kidney function. It estimates the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using formulas based on the plasma concentration of creatinine and/or Cystatin C and their mean value.
When ordering eGFR, the value for cystatin c is used.
What does an elevated or low value of eGFR(CysC) mean?
It is normal to have a high eGFR value. If the value is low, it means that Cystatin C is elevated, which indicates impaired kidney function.
The value of Cystatin C can, however, be affected by other factors such as e.g. an untreated hyperthyroidism and cortisone treatments.
Low values of Cystatin C can occur when the thyroid gland is underfunctioning, which in turn leads to an elevated value of Cystatin C and can then falsely indicate impaired kidney function.
It is important to note that eGFR should not be used as the only method to diagnose kidney disease, and additional tests may be required to confirm the results.
Symptoms of reduced kidney function
The symptoms of chronic kidney failure, or chronic kidney failure, develop slowly. They can only appear when kidney function becomes so impaired that waste products begin to accumulate in the blood, then they can express themselves like this:
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- fatigue
- itching
- impaired muscle power.
