Anyone get kidney function regularly tested?

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Dignan

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Hi all, been gone for awhile, but was thinking about this when reviewing some old blood work. My neuro doesn't typically do blood work, and a few years ago, I went to an endo to get some testing that my neuro wouldn't know to do.

One of the things that came back, that was NOT noted as significant by the endo at the time, was that my eGFR was 86 and the next year it was 79. I only thought about it now because of another family member going through some health issues where kidney function was discusssed, so it made me review my past labs.

Given my age, mid 40s, and the fact that no other numbers were abnormal, should this be of any concern? Or, more generally, should those of us taking seizure meds regularly have kidney function tests (beyond standard creatinine levels)?

Numbers of 86 and 79 seem low to me in retrospect considering my age and other good health status.

Thanks for any input.
 
When I was with my former neuro I had my blood tested once a year, if I remember right. The blood test included the standard blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test that can indicate kidney disease. But no urine tests were ever done. I suppose they would have been if the BUN test indicated that there might be problems.

If someone has kidney disease and/or is at risk for it, and they take an AED that is processed via the kidneys, it would make sense to get tested regularly.

And older folks with seizure disorders might want to get tested more regularly as well. As people age, the liver and kidneys tend to function less efficiently. (In most people, kidney size and the flow of blood to the kidneys decline by nearly 50% between young adulthood and the 80s or 90s). Seniors therefore usually need lower doses of medicines -- including AEDs -- that are primarily eliminated through the kidneys.
 
Hi Dignan,

Along with E, I have Type 1 Diabetes, so yes I do get my kidneys tested yearly. Plus my father died of kidney disease and was on dialysis the last 7 years of his life, so I do know a bit about it.

One should be of concern if the creatinine numbers are below 60 for three months or more or a GFR above 60 with kidney damage (marked by high levels of albumin in your urine) indicates chronic kidney disease.

I also have my A1c level checked every 6 months. It checks the blood for albuminuria, (a type of protein) in the urine. If there, that is a sign of kidney disease, something that folks with diabetes are VERY aware of.

Maybe you should have a chat with your primary care dr. about this to be sure. Some AEDs can cause problems.

Here is a website explaining the GFR:
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr
 
Thanks Nak and Cint for the info.

Cint, I thought a GFR under 60 was the problem, not over 60. Am I incorrect?
 
In adults, the normal GFR (glomerular filtration rate) number is anything greater than 90. So what Cint means is that a number consistently below 60 is a marker for a more acute stage of kidney disease and a number above 60 but less than 90 is a marker for an earlier stage of kidney disease, where the kidneys are still functioning.

The GFR number does decrease with age, even w/o kidney disease, so it's not unusual for folks in their 60s or 70s to have GFR numbers in the 85 to 75 range.
 
That's what I saw too. I got concerned when I reviewed blood work from a few years ago, and it showed my eGFR to be 86 in 2014 and 79 in 2015.

That was done as part of a larger full workup I had back then, but the endo never said boo about anything, and I didn't know enough about it at the time to realize that number may not be great and that I should ask about it. I don't know if that means I have compromised kidney function or not, or if meds have caused some damage. No docs have ever said anything about it, but if it was something to be concerned about, I'd like to think the endo would have mentioned it to me.
 
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Nak my nuro from long back said us on lamc should have B12 levels done and to confirm it by putting you on b12 with 24hour urine collection for over a week.i have level three renal failour but that's really saying body getting older and pos lamc can do kidney problems but nothing so bad as to need treatment
 
Nakamova said:
In adults, the normal GFR (glomerular filtration rate) number is anything greater than 90. So what Cint means is that a number consistently below 60 is a marker for a more acute stage of kidney disease and a number above 60 but less than 90 is a marker for an earlier stage of kidney disease, where the kidneys are still functioning.

The GFR number does decrease with age, even w/o kidney disease, so it's not unusual for folks in their 60s or 70s to have GFR numbers in the 85 to 75 range.
Click to expand...

Not to sound dense, so then if someone in their 40s has a GFR between 75 and 85 does that signify early kidney disease, or is that not a problem as long as other tests (protein, etc.) come back normal?

I had a general physical a few months ago and the urine test came back Negative for any protein. Some other results are below:
BUN: 16 Range: 7-18
Creatinine: 1.24 Range: .70-1.30
BUN/Creat Ratio: 13 Range: 8-24
eGFR: 70 Range: >59

BTW, I exercise regularly (run 4-6 miles 4x per week) and I also wondered if this could affect my scores.
 
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Assuming the ranges you give are the normal range (eg. BUN 7 - 18 ) and that the first number you provide before the range is your result, then all your results are within the given ranges and would be considered normal. However if any other kidney tests were done, then these findings would have to be interpreted along with what those other results were.
 
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Thanks Jen. Yes that first number is the result and then the reference range.

What brought this question up is that I've read that "normal/no kidney disease" function is an eGFR of >90, even though anything >60 is deemed okay, and I noticed that since 2014 my eGFRs have gone from 86 to 79 to 70, and since I take Keppra which is processed via kidneys, I wanted to be sure this was nothing to be concerned about.

No docs have ever brought this up to me, and though my numbers are "normal" I wasn't sure if the eGFR was suboptimal and if I should seek further advice. I've read that there are different ways of calculating eGFR and that it can very from day to day when it is measured, so it may not be a great indicator, but I thought I'd ask in case anyone here had more insight to share.
 
Because your eGFR level has been decreasing (even though technically still normal), you could consider asking your Dr. to continue to monitor this level every year - what do you think? Might put your mind at ease.
 
i get mine tested, both my liver and kidneys have failed as a result of the meds and the lyme disease.
 
Hey all, I know this is an old thread but due to the discussion on potentially normal GFR rates for adults, I thought I would post this link.

I saw this study and it had charts for men and women (unfortunately only Caucasian) with ranges of GFR rates by age range and percentile. I felt like it put some perspective on "normal" for me and wanted to share it.

http://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(15)52697-5/fulltext
 
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