Expert: Newell R. Falkinburg, M.D., FACP - 3/5/2009

Question
I’m a 33 year old white male with an eGFR score of 50. Should I be concerned?

Answer
Dear Philip,

This GFR estimation is abnormal and you need to follow up with a 24 hour urine collection to directly calculate the creatinine clearance which gives a more reliable measurement of GFR.

Sometimes, if one has a large muscle mass, such as a weight lifter or a well conditioned athlete, the estimated GFR is falsely low.  However, it needs to be documented because if your kidney function is, in fact, low it needs a thorough evaluation.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks for the question.

Sincere;y,

Dr. Falkinburg