Library/Kidney/eGFR/71

eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m²What it means, and what usually happens next

71mL/min/1.73m² eGFR
Mildly decreased (G2)
1530456090

An eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m² is in the 60 to 89 range KDIGO calls mildly decreased (stage G2). On its own, without protein in the urine or another sign of kidney damage, it isn't kidney disease.

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eGFR71mL/min/1.73m²
Where it fallsMildly decreased (G2)
The usual range90 or above (it drifts down with age)

What usually happens next

Kidney function drifts down with age, and many healthy older adults sit in this range.

A urine ACR is what tells normal ageing from early kidney damage.

When an eGFR can read wrong

Most eGFRs are worked out from creatinine, which comes from muscle. A lot of muscle, creatine supplements, a big meat meal before the test or being dehydrated can make the eGFR read lower than your kidneys really are; very little muscle can make it read higher. A cystatin C based eGFR is the usual way to check.

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Questions

Is an eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m² normal?

An eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m² is in the 60 to 89 range KDIGO calls mildly decreased (stage G2). On its own, without protein in the urine or another sign of kidney damage, it isn't kidney disease. The usual range is 90 or above (it drifts down with age).

Is an eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m² normal for my age?

eGFR falls slowly with age, so a value in the 60s or 70s is common in healthy older adults. What matters is whether it stays under 60 for more than 3 months, or comes with albumin in the urine.

Can an eGFR of 71 mL/min/1.73m² improve?

It can move: dehydration, a big protein meal or a hard workout before the test lowers it, and a repeat test when well hydrated often reads higher.

Worked out by LifeFrom from the KDIGO 2024 guideline, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. For your own understanding: only a lab test, read by your clinician, diagnoses anything.