CKD means the kidneys are at least 40% less able to filter out wastes and water from the blood, and the damage is permanent. In time, CKD may lead to kidney failure, in which case dialysis (blood cleaning) or a kidney transplant is needed to support life.
The two most common causes of CKD are type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Among Americans with kidney failure, 75% have one or both of these problems. The rest have genetic diseases, infections, birth defects, kidney stones, or other causes.
If CKD is caught early, it may be possible to slow it down or even stop it. The National Kidney Foundation lists five stages of CKD. Each stage is based on the percent that the kidneys can filter, or “glomerular filtration rate” (GFR). GFR is not a blood test; it’s a formula used to figure out how well your kidneys are filtering your blood.
The stages of CKD are:
- Stage 1 – Kidney damage (protein in the urine) and normal GFR (>90)
- Stage 2 – Kidney damage and mild drop in GFR (60-89)
- Stage 3 – Moderate drop in GFR (30-59)
- Stage 4 – Severe drop in GFR (15-29)
- Stage 5 – Kidney failure: dialysis or kidney transplant needed (GFR <15)
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