05-13-2017, 12:47 PM
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#1 | | Senior Member (female)
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 202
| eGFR unreliable for women?
I have heard that the eGFR test is mostly unreliable for women. Can someone tell me why that is?
Thank you!
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05-14-2017, 05:44 PM
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#2 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 36
| Re: eGFR unreliable for women?
Because they are considered smaller and less muscular, on average, than many actually are.
The values labs show are standardized for 1.73 square meter body surface - which will underestimate e-GFR for a bigger/more muscular/solid woman.
The bigger/more muscular you are, the more the eGFR from your doctor's office underestimates your function.
This underestimation does not apply, however, for obesity. It must be extra height and lean muscle mass - not fat.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by Administrator; 05-14-2017 at 09:01 PM.
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05-16-2017, 11:33 AM
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#3 | | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,871
| Re: eGFR unreliable for women?
eGFR is a calculated value that makes assumptions about your size and musculature. So if you are a really big muscular guy/body builder the estimate is off. And in the same vein, if you are a petite, slender woman, it's also off. I've always been more comfortable watching my creatinine trends and being aware of any swelling along with my potassium levels.
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Cora
Dxd T1 1966, 2001 dialysis, 2002 kidney transplant, 2003 insulin pump, 2008 pancreas transplant
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05-16-2017, 09:28 PM
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#4 | | Newbie (female)
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 7
| Re: eGFR unreliable for women?
Where did you hear that information. Nephrologists still use this in conjunction with other testing to check for kidney disease. As with most things in medicine it is a part of the bigger picture and testing.
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05-17-2017, 06:20 PM
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#5 | | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,871
| Re: eGFR unreliable for women?
Heard it from my (and several) other nephrologists. Yes, it does play a part, and it is used as a diagnostic tool, but it is not a totally definitive tool used for treatment plans.
It is a commonly known fact that if you are less than an "average" sized woman, the calculation is off. Check with your own nephrologist.
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Cora
Dxd T1 1966, 2001 dialysis, 2002 kidney transplant, 2003 insulin pump, 2008 pancreas transplant
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05-18-2017, 06:36 AM
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#6 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 36
| Re: eGFR unreliable for women?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cora1003  Heard it from my (and several) other nephrologists. Yes, it does play a part, and it is used as a diagnostic tool, but it is not a totally definitive tool used for treatment plans.
It is a commonly known fact that if you are less than an "average" sized woman, the calculation is off. Check with your own nephrologist. | It is true, but when you are less than average, the calculation makes it look better; when adjusted to the real, "smaller" you, the true GFR may be even worse.
The calculation underestimates GFR for larger than average people. This was my understanding.
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