Staging of Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction

Chronic kidney disease means that you have a reduced estimated GFR or signs of kidney damage such as blood in the urine or urine protein.

Knowing the Five Stages

There are five stages of chronic kidney disease based on the GFR:

• Stage 1: Normal or increased GFR (>= 90 mL/min/1.73m²) with some evidence of kidney damage. The emphasis is on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease progression.
• Stage 2: Mildly decreased GFR (60-89 mL/min/1.73m²) with some evidence of kidney damage. There is still interest in diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause but the emphasis is shifting towards prevention of disease progression.
• Stage 3: Moderately decreased GFR (30-59 mL/min/1.73m²). The emphasis is still on preventing disease progression but the evaluation and treatment of complications are becoming more of an issue.
• Stage 4: Severely decreased GFR (15-29 mL/min/1.73m²). The emphasis is generally on treating complications and preparing for dialysis or kidney transplantation.
• Stage 5: Very little GFR left (< 15 mL/min/1.73m²). Treating complications becomes increasingly difficult and dialysis is usually started at this point.