In young adults, eGFR is usually above 90, often around 100 to 115, and it falls gradually with age. An eGFR between 60 and 89 is common in older people and does not mean kidney disease on its own. If eGFR stays below 60 for more than three months, it counts as chronic kidney disease (CKD), whatever your age.
By the Nyrami editorial teamPublished 1 October 2026Updated 2 October 20268 min read
You may have received a test result with a number you are not quite sure what to make of. Here we explain what eGFR measures, what is typical for your age, and why many people in Norway got lower numbers in 2025 and 2026 without their kidneys getting any worse. If you have a creatinine result, you can work out your eGFR yourself in the eGFR calculator, which shows both the new and the old equation.
eGFR stands for estimated glomerular filtration rate and is an estimate of how much blood your kidneys clean every minute. It is calculated from creatinine in an ordinary blood test, together with your age and sex. The unit is ml/min/1.73 m², which means the number is adjusted to an average body size.
The higher the eGFR, the better your kidneys filter. The number is an estimate, not a direct measurement, and it can vary a little from test to test. The trend over time tells you the most.
eGFR in a kidney test has nothing to do with the EGFR gene, which is a growth receptor doctors test for in lung cancer.
No. Creatinine is a waste product measured in the blood, and eGFR is an estimate of kidney function that the laboratory calculates from your creatinine, age and sex. High creatinine gives a low eGFR. The same creatinine can therefore give quite different eGFRs in a young man and an older woman.
Work out eGFR from your creatinine in the eGFR calculator, and read more about the creatinine number itself in Creatinine: normal range.
In young adults with healthy kidneys, eGFR is usually above 90, often around 100 to 115. Kidney function naturally falls with age, even in healthy people, and Helsedirektoratet (the Norwegian Directorate of Health) states that in older people it falls by about 0.5 to 1 ml/min a year. A 75 year old with an eGFR of 75 can therefore have kidneys that are entirely typical for their age, while the same value in a 25 year old is worth a closer look.
Typical eGFR by age (ml/min/1.73 m²)
20 to 29
30 to 39
40 to 49
50 to 59
60 to 69
70 to 79
80 to 89
The table shows typical numbers, not a requirement. Many healthy people are above or below. Your doctor always looks at eGFR together with your urine test, your blood pressure and how the number has changed over time. More about the kidneys as you get older is in Kidney failure in older people.
An eGFR between 60 and 89, such as 70, 80 or 87, is called mildly reduced kidney function, but it does not mean you have kidney disease. If your urine test is normal and there are no other signs of kidney damage, it does not count as chronic kidney disease. In older people, 60 to 89 is very common and often entirely typical for their age.
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, it is still a good idea to have the urine test uACR (called u-AKR in Norway) taken at the same time. It picks up kidney damage before eGFR falls. Read more in the guide to protein in urine and How to detect kidney disease.
An eGFR below 60 in two tests at least three months apart means chronic kidney disease, whatever your age. This corresponds to stage 3, 4 or 5. A single low value is not enough, because the number can drop temporarily due to dehydration, illness or certain medicines, for example.
Many people with an eGFR between 45 and 59 live for a long time without their kidney function falling much. The aim of follow up is to slow progression and protect your heart. The stages are explained in Kidney failure stages, and the disease itself in Chronic kidney disease.
Some laboratories give reference ranges that take age and sex into account. At Fürst, for example, the lower limit is 52 for women aged 70 and over, and 59 for men of the same age, so an older woman with an eGFR of 55 gets no flag on her result. The limit for chronic kidney disease is still 60 in the international criteria.
That does not mean anyone is wrong. The reference range shows what is common in healthy people of the same age, while the limit of 60 says something about risk. Your doctor assesses whether a low, stable value in an older person needs follow up, and always looks at it together with the urine test.
Norwegian laboratories switched from CKD-EPI to a new equation called EKFC in 2025 and 2026. The change happened on different dates: Bergen Hospital Trust (Helse Bergen) switched on 15 December 2025, Fürst, which analyses many GP samples, on 9 February 2026, Vestfold Hospital on 9 March, and Oslo University Hospital (OUS) and the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) on 1 June 2026. At OUS, both numbers are shown on the result until 4 January 2027.
The background is a Norwegian study that compared eGFR with measured kidney function in more than 5,500 adults. EKFC was more accurate than CKD-EPI, especially in young adults aged 18 to 25 and in people over 65, where CKD-EPI gave numbers that were too high. The Norwegian Society of Medical Biochemistry (NSMB) and the Norwegian Society of Nephrology therefore recommended the switch.
What does this mean for you? At OUS, EKFC gives an eGFR that is on average about eleven per cent lower than CKD-EPI 2021, the equation OUS used before. Other laboratories used an older version of CKD-EPI, and there the difference may be different. If you got a lower number after the switch, it does not necessarily mean your kidneys have got worse. It means the calculation has become more precise. Ideally, compare numbers calculated with the same equation, and ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Because eGFR is calculated from creatinine, the number becomes misleading when creatinine is high or low for reasons other than your kidneys. A lot of muscle, creatine supplements and a large meat meal before the test can give an eGFR that is too low. Low muscle mass, for example in frail older people or with muscle disease, can give an eGFR that is too high.
Two tests can also vary by 10 to 15 per cent without anything having changed, according to Helsedirektoratet. And even a correctly taken test is an estimate: Helse Bergen writes that eGFR can differ by around 30 per cent from measured kidney function. That is why your doctor looks at several tests over time.
If in doubt, your doctor can request cystatin C, another blood test that is not affected by muscle mass. Read more in the guide to creatinine.
eGFR can rise again when a temporary drop was caused by something that can be corrected, such as dehydration, low blood pressure or medicines that strain the kidneys. In chronic kidney disease, the aim is rarely to raise the number, but to keep it stable. Good blood pressure, well controlled blood sugar, less salt, stopping smoking and physical activity slow progression, and several medicines protect the kidneys.
Some medicines that protect the kidneys in the long run cause a small drop in eGFR during the first weeks. This is expected, and you should not stop taking them on your own. Talk to your doctor if the number changes.
Contact your GP (fastlege) if your eGFR is below 60, if it falls clearly from one test to the next, or if you have got a lower number and do not know whether it is due to the change of equation. If you have diabetes, eGFR and the urine test should be done at least once a year, see Diabetes and the kidneys. If you have high blood pressure, they should be done regularly, often once a year.
Bring your old results, or convert them in the eGFR calculator, so you can see the trend together. What the other values on the result mean is in Understanding your test results.
Call the out of hours service (legevakt) on 116 117 if you suddenly pass very little urine, swell up a lot or become short of breath. If a life is in danger, call 113.
In the Nyrami app you can enter your eGFR and your other values and see them explained in words, together with your stage and how they change over time. That makes it easier to see whether the number stays stable, and to have your values ready for your next appointment. The app is free for iPhone and Android.
Turns the advice into something you can use in the shop and the kitchen: scan food and see potassium, phosphorus and salt assessed for you, and follow your numbers over time. Free on iPhone and Android.
A little foam when you pee is common and is usually caused by a strong stream, concentrated morning urine or toilet cleaner in the bowl. If your urine foams a lot every time for several days, especially if you have swelling, diabetes or high blood pressure, it may be protein. A urine test at your GP gives the answer.
Kidney disease rarely causes early symptoms, so it is found with two simple tests: a blood test that shows eGFR and a urine test that measures albumin (uACR). If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease, or kidney failure in the family, ask your GP for both, ideally every year.
Normal blood creatinine is 45 to 90 µmol/l for adult women and 60 to 105 µmol/l for adult men. High creatinine can mean reduced kidney function, but it can also come from a lot of muscle, creatine supplements, a large meat meal, dehydration or certain medicines. What the number means for you depends on your age and sex.
