Is this age-related decline in GFR or kidney disease?

Does anyone have experience with being told your gfr decline is age related? I have gfr of 52 at age 73. I am not diabetic and have never had blood pressure being high. I have no underlying illnesses.

@mimi1234 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!

It is not uncommon for our eGFR to drop as we age. That said, what has the trend been for you with your kidney function tests? Have you had any recent change in medications? What about hydration levels, as that can reflect in test results, also. If your past results have shown a much higher eGFR, I would also be concerned, and request a referral to a nephrologist, not waiting for three months to go by. Heck, it might take that long to get into see a kidney doctor!

Now is a good time to take a look at your diet, making sure it is healthy, you get moderate exercise, keep your stress levels down, get good rest. Don't fall down the rabbit hole of "Dr. Google"; it can be a real scary place!
Ginger

Hi @mimi1234, I add my welcome. I expanded the title of this helpful topic to reflect your question: "Is this age-related decline in GFR or kidney disease?"

I found this helpful article
- Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator and FAQ https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/kidney-pancreas/glomerular-filtration-rate-calculato

Excerpt:
GFR gets lower with age, even if you don't have kidney disease. But no matter how old you are, a GFR below 60 for three months or more means you have kidney disease."

So it looks like your doctor is monitoring you to see whether the lower value of 52 is a one-time reading or if this is a new trend that may indicate kidney disease. Because you are otherwise in good health, your doctor is not jumping to conclusion based on one test.

The lower value may be due to other temporary factors like increased muscle mass, reduced fluid intake and medications such as NSAIDs and ACE inhibitors.

I agree with @gingerw, this is good time to make small changes for your health, like stay hydrated, reduce salt intake, and stay active.

What physical activities do you like to do?

In my situation a GFR of 52 is pretty good. Hydration an increase it. Mine goes down as low as 36. A different eGFR called Cystatin C has been more accurate and more positive for me since the usual creatinine-based GFR is affected by hydration, muscle loss, blood pressure, heart function and other factors.

Gfr declines with age. If this is an egfr (estimated from creatnine) is might be reflecting high protein intake or low hydration. Muscle loss (temporary or not and sometime medication related) is another factor that can increase creatnine levels. Collage supplementation and creatine supplementation can affect the blood levels of creatnine. Biotin can affect the assays used to measure creatnine.
You might request the cystatin test said to be more reliable, or request a second creatinine test. I suspect that the CKD of your diagnosis is a numbers game rather than kidney disease.

I have always been very active for 30 years. I lift weights with a group 3 times a week and do Zumba on Saturdays. Always. I have just stopped taking aspirin or any painkillers. I have increased my water intake to 24 ounces per day.

I have also read many articles from NLM saying that the threshold of 60 is too high for elderly people. Who knows?

Thank you. My doctor said to increas my hydration and we will retest in January. He insists I do not have CKD, but it is really scary!

Thank you. My eGFR has been in the 50's for a few years now. I don't feel comfortable contacting a nephroligist until my Dr recommends it and gives me a referral. I don't eat meat, only fish and chicken and eggs.

Dr. Google is rife with conflicting information, even in the medical journals. The only meds i take is for cholesterol which is controlled at 185.

@mimi1234 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You’ve come to the right place. Folks here are caring and sharing. Most have a lot of knowledge and experience to share.
Here’s my 2 cents worth.
Regardless of the lab tests used it is the trend over time that is important.
Lots of things affect kidney function (hydration, diet, other conditions, fitness level, exercise…..). It sounds like you are aware of these things and are doing the best you can.
eGFR does lower as one ages. I guess this is normal.
A nephrologist is the best specialist to shed more light on this if you continue to be concerned. I would be concerned that your GP says one thing and his physician’s assistant said something else contradicting the doc. That alone makes a worthwhile case to see a nephrologist!
Many of us here would be happy to have your numbers. I am nearly 68 years old and my eGFR is currently in the low 30’s. It has bounced between 14 - 42 since 2016 when my nephrologist diagnosed me with stage 4 CKD.
Will you let us know what you decide to do? My hope for you is the best provider and treatment possible.

@mimi1234 I’m sorry I’m not good with acronyms. What is NLM?