Testing for Kidney Disease: What to Expect

What To Expect When Getting Tested for Kidney Disease

​The vast majority of people that suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unaware of it. In fact, an estimated 90% of stage 3 CKD patients do not know they have it and that it's getting worse with each passing day. This is largely due to the fact that kidney disease does not exhibit symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly -- stage 3 is when the first signs surface. Because of this, it's important to know if you're at risk so you can get tested regularly, earlier.

However, when you finally do make the decision to get tested for kidney disease, it's important to be prepared and know what to expect. There are a couple methods, but how do doctors test for kidney disease?

Urine Examination
Doctors will typically utilize two main methods of testing for chronic kidney disease, the first being a urine test. Depending on the situation, there are a few signs doctors look for:

• Sometimes they'll collect a few tablespoons to test for a protein called albumin. Albumin is always present in your blood, but it is never present in urine because kidneys act as a sort of "gatekeeper". However, if kidneys are damaged significantly, they'll start to excrete albumin into the urine.
• 24-hour urine tests will give a more accurate portrayal on how much urine is actually produced and how much albumin is passed into it.
• Your doctor will test the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio as well. Levels above 30 mg/g will start to raise concerns.

Blood Test | Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
Glomeruli are the tiny filters in the kidneys that ensure waste does not enter the bloodstream. Your glomerular filtration rate measures the rate (in milliliters per minute) at which blood passes through the glomeruli. A lower rate indicates that smaller amounts of blood are being cleaned.

• 90-120: normal rate
• 60-89: mild loss of kidney function
• 30-59: moderate to severe loss of kidney function
• 16-29: severe loss of function
• <15: complete kidney failure

Doctors will also test for the presence of creatinine in the blood, which the kidneys usually expel from the bloodstream. However, if the kidneys are not functioning properly, elevated levels will be present in the body.

Scans/Imaging
Doctors may also utilize scanning technologies in determining the severity of kidney disease. They may use ultrasounds and CT scans to check for tumors or abnormal growths on the kidneys.

In some rare cases, kidney biopsies may be conducted. These are usually only reserved for patients that are experiencing transplant rejection, or when doctors need to figure out the severity of physical damage done to the kidneys.