Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) means lasting damage to the kidneys that can get worse over time. If the damage is very bad, your kidneys may stop working. This is called kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to live.

The stages of chronic kidney disease, as follows:

Stage 1: Kidney damage with normal or increased GFR (>90 mL/min/1.73 m2)

Stage 2: Mild reduction in GFR (60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2)

Stage 3: Moderate reduction in GFR (30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2)

Stage 4: Severe reduction in GFR (15-29 mL/min/1.73 m2)

Stage 5: Kidney failure (GFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 or dialysis)

In stage 1 and stage 2 chronic kidney disease, GFR alone does not clinch the diagnosis. Other markers of kidney damage, including abnormalities in the composition of blood or urine or abnormalities on imaging studies, should also be present in establishing a diagnosis of stage 1 and stage 2 chronic kidney disease.

Patients with chronic kidney disease stages 1-3 are generally asymptomatic; clinically manifestations typically appear in stages 4-5 (see Clinical). Early diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause and/or institution of secondary preventive measures is imperative in patients with chronic kidney disease. These may delay, or possibly halt, progression.