What is the full form of GFR
GFR: Glomerular Filtration Rate
GFR stands for Glomerular Filtration Rate. It refers to the amount of blood filtered by kidney’s glomerulus per unit of time. The GFR test is a simple blood test which is performed to check how well your kidneys are working.
Glomerulus filtration rate is usually determined using a mathematical formula where a person’s age, sex, and race are compared with serum creatinine levels. The lower the GFR number, the higher will be the kidney damage. Thus, it tells your doctor about the stage of kidney damage and helps plan a treatment accordingly. See the following table:
| GFR | Stage of Kidney Damage | Description |
| 90 or above | 1 | Kidney damage with normal kidney function, e.g. protein in the urine |
| 89 to 60 | 2 | Kidney damage with mild loss of kidney function |
| 59 to 44 | 3a | Mild to moderate loss of kidney function |
| 44 to 30 | 3b | Moderate to severe loss of kidney function |
| 29-15 | 4 | Severe loss of kidney function |
| Less than 15 | 5 | Kidney failure |
It is clear from the above table that the GFR number goes down as the kidney disease gets worse or progresses. Furthermore, GFR also gets lower with age, e.g. a 60-year-old person may have GFE below around 60 without any kidney disease. People should have their GFR checked because an early detection and treatment can prevent kidney disease from getting worse.