The eGFR test is a calculated value, not a separate substance measured in blood: the lab derives it from serum creatinine, age and sex (CKD-EPI) to estimate glomerular filtration. Practitioners use it to check kidney reserve before protein or supplement changes and to watch for slow decline in clients with diabetes or hypertension. Creatine supplements, a cooked-meat meal and unusual muscle mass distort it.
| Test type | Calculated by the lab from other results |
|---|---|
| Measurements required | Serum creatinine, with age and sex. The lab calculates eGFR and prints it on the report. |
| Sample and collection | Blood draw at a collection centre |
| Preparation | If your practitioner has requested the Baseline Health Check, fast for 8 to 12 hours before a morning collection (water is fine). |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days |
| Available through | Urea, Electrolytes & Creatinine, part of the Baseline Health Check. Also in: Full Body Health Check. |
| Pricing | Included in the $99 Baseline Health Check |
| Results | Returned in the Vively practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers |
What are the eGFR reference and optimal ranges?
| Typical lab reference | Vively optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 60 mL/min/1.73m² or above (results above 90 print as >90) | 75 mL/min/1.73m² or above |
Labs differ, so read the result against the range and comment printed on the client's report (RCPA guidance). The optimal floor is a monitoring target, not a CKD threshold.
Check a client's eGFR result
Your lab calculates eGFR for you. Enter the value printed on your client's report to see where it sits against the typical lab range and the Vively optimal range.
A guide only, not a diagnosis. One result is a starting point: read it with symptoms, history and a repeat test. Labs differ, so check the result against the range on your client's report. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
How do you arrange eGFR testing through Vively?
- Get verified. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Choose a panel. Log in to the practitioner platform and pick a panel that includes eGFR, or build your own. It is included in the $99 Baseline Health Check.
- Client collects. Your client collects at a partner collection centre, with their request on their phone or printed.
- Review results. Results come back to you in the practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers, ready for the follow-up consult.
Which Vively panels include eGFR?
Log in to the practitioner platform to view a panel in full, or build and save your own from 100+ tests and panels.
- Baseline Health Check74 markers across 11 lab groups$99
One fasting blood draw.
Full Blood CountUrea, Electrolytes & CreatinineLiver Function TestsCalcium, Phosphate & MagnesiumLipid StudiesDiabetes & Glycaemic StudiesIron StudiesThyroid Function Tests+3 moreLog in to view this panel - Log in to view this panelFull Body Health Check87 markers · Health checksPrice on sign-up
Why does the optimal range sit there?
Our floor of 75 mL/min/1.73m² sits inside G2, above the lab cut-off of 60, to flag earlier drift in clients aged 30 to 60.
Filtration falls by roughly 1 mL/min/1.73m² a year after about 40, so 60 to 89 can be normal for age. In clients aged 30 to 60, a result in the 60s is less expected and worth trending.
CKD needs an eGFR below 60 for at least three months, or signs of kidney damage such as albuminuria at any eGFR. Our floor prompts a repeat test and a review of risk factors; it does not diagnose CKD.
G1 is 90 or above, G2 60 to 89, G3a 45 to 59, G3b 30 to 44, G4 15 to 29 and G5 below 15.
What should eGFR be read with?
- ContexteGFR 60 to 75, stable, older client
Often age-related; trend it yearly and check blood pressure and HbA1c.
- LowLow eGFR, high muscle mass or creatine use
Can underestimate true filtration because creatinine runs high; cystatin C through the GP gives a cross-check.
- LowLow eGFR with raised urea
Possible dehydration or reduced filtration; repeat well hydrated before drawing conclusions.
- ContextNormal eGFR, low albumin, frothy urine
Does not rule out kidney disease; a urine albumin to creatinine ratio is needed.
- ContextFalling eGFR with rising uric acid
Worth GP review; reduced clearance raises urate and the two often move together.
What can affect a eGFR result?
- Creatine supplements and a large cooked-meat meal before collection (lower eGFR without a real change)
- High muscle mass lowers it; low muscle mass, amputation or frailty overstate it
- Dehydration and hard training in the previous 24 to 48 hours
- Acute illness: the equation only holds when creatinine is stable
- Pregnancy and age under 18, where the adult equation is not validated
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- eGFR below 60: GP review to repeat and assess
- A sustained fall of 25% or more, or of 15 mL/min/1.73m² or more within a year
- eGFR below 30: prompt GP review
- Any low eGFR with diabetes, hypertension, swelling, blood in the urine or reduced urine output
How should a client prepare for a eGFR test?
Copy or print this to send to your client.
Preparing for your eGFR test
- If your practitioner has requested the Baseline Health Check, fast for 8 to 12 hours before a morning collection (water is fine).
- Avoid hard training in the 24 hours before your test.
- Tell your practitioner if you take a creatine supplement. It raises creatinine, which can make your eGFR look lower.
- Take your pathology request to any of 4,000+ collection centres. Bring it printed or on your phone.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Results usually take 3 to 5 business days and come to your practitioner. Book your results appointment for after that.
How do practitioners use eGFR with clients?
Use eGFR as a trend line. Clients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, a smoking history or a family history of kidney disease benefit most from a yearly reading, and their GP can add a urine albumin to creatinine ratio. The levers that protect filtration are the ones that lower blood pressure and glucose: less sodium, more plant foods, weight management and no smoking.
eGFR FAQs
Why does the report say >90 instead of a number?
Australian labs print eGFR above 90 as >90 because the equation is least accurate at higher filtration rates. Any result above 90 counts as normal filtration and sits within our optimal range. For tracking a high-functioning client, the raw creatinine trend tells you more than the eGFR in that band.
Is a single eGFR of 58 enough to call it CKD?
No. CKD needs an eGFR below 60 for at least three months, or other markers of kidney damage. A single low reading can follow dehydration, hard training, creatine or a cooked-meat meal. Send it to the client's GP for a repeat and a urine albumin to creatinine ratio, because a confirmed result changes medication and monitoring decisions.
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order eGFR through Vively?
Yes. Add it to a client panel on the Vively practitioner platform. It is part of Urea, Electrolytes & Creatinine in the $99 Baseline Health Check, and is also in Full Body Health Check. No account yet? Request free access.
Can a muscular client have a falsely low eGFR?
Yes. eGFR is calculated from creatinine, so high muscle mass or creatine use pushes creatinine up and the estimate down without a true loss of filtration. Cystatin C, requested through the client's GP, gives a cross-check that does not depend on muscle. Compare with the client's previous results before drawing conclusions.
What else should sit beside eGFR when screening a client at risk?
A urine albumin to creatinine ratio, because a normal eGFR does not rule out kidney disease. Clients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, a smoking history or a family history benefit most from a yearly eGFR, and their GP can add the urine test. Use eGFR as a trend line rather than a single verdict.
References
- Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney International. 2024. Source
- Kidney Health Australia. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Management in Primary Care. Source
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. RCPA Manual: Estimated glomerular filtration rate. Source
- Inker LA, Eneanya ND, Coresh J, et al. New creatinine and cystatin C based equations to estimate GFR without race. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021. Source