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.
By the Nyrami editorial teamPublished 1 October 2026Updated 2 October 20266 min read
Around ten per cent of adults in Norway have chronic kidney disease (CKD), and at least two in three of them do not know it. The reason is simple: the kidneys can lose much of their function before you notice anything. The good news is that two common tests at your GP are enough to find it early.
Often you notice nothing. Most people have no problems in the early stages, and symptoms such as tiredness, nausea, itching, swelling in the legs or around the eyes and foamy urine usually only appear when kidney function is considerably reduced. That is why you cannot wait for symptoms. If you are in a risk group, the tests are the only reliable way to know.
Read more about the signs in the guide to symptoms of kidney failure.
You should have your kidneys tested if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease, or kidney failure in the family. These groups have a clearly higher risk, and both Norwegian and international guidelines recommend that they are checked. Obesity, previous acute kidney injury and pre-eclampsia also increase the risk.
If a parent has developed kidney failure, you should have the tests yourself. And you can help an older parent ask for them, for example by going with them to the appointment.
The most important blood test is creatinine, which the laboratory uses to calculate eGFR. eGFR shows how well the kidneys filter the blood, and below 60 for more than three months means chronic kidney disease. If creatinine may be misleading, for example with a lot of or very little muscle mass, your doctor can also measure cystatin C.
If you have a creatinine result, you can convert it in the eGFR calculator. Read what the numbers mean in the guide to normal eGFR and the guide to creatinine.
The urine test uACR (called u-AKR in Norway) measures albumin in the urine and is often the first sign of kidney damage, before eGFR falls. It is taken on the first urine of the morning, and a result below 3 mg/mmol is normal. Your GP often also does a urine dipstick, which can show blood in the urine. Blood and protein at the same time can point to inflammation of the kidneys.
uACR is the test many people at risk miss out on. The blood test is often taken routinely, but your doctor has to order the urine test specifically. Read more in the guide to protein in urine.
The tests that reveal kidney disease
eGFR (from blood creatinine)
uACR (albumin in morning urine)
Urine dipstick
How often? If you have diabetes, Helsedirektoratet recommends eGFR and uACR every year, and more often if your values change. LNT (the Norwegian kidney patient association) recommends the same for everyone with high blood pressure or heart or blood vessel disease: one blood test and one urine test every year. Without risk factors, healthy people are not usually tested routinely.
You can ask your GP (fastlege) for eGFR and uACR. These are two simple tests taken on the same day, and most surgeries do them themselves. It helps to say why you are asking, for example that you have diabetes or that a parent has kidney failure. That makes it easier for your doctor to prioritise.
One abnormal test is not a diagnosis. The test is repeated, and chronic kidney disease is only diagnosed when eGFR has been below 60 for more than three months, or when uACR is 3 mg/mmol or higher in at least two of three tests taken within three months. Your doctor also looks for things that can be corrected, such as dehydration, low blood pressure or medicines that strain the kidneys.
If the diagnosis is confirmed, you get a stage and a plan, see Kidney failure stages. Many people are followed up by their GP for life. Some are referred to a kidney specialist, often after an ultrasound of the kidneys. Treatment can slow the disease, protect the heart and delay or prevent the need for dialysis. Read more in the guide to chronic kidney disease.
Home tests with urine dipsticks can show protein or blood in the urine, but they are less accurate than laboratory tests and cannot measure eGFR. A positive result must be confirmed by your doctor, and a negative result does not rule out kidney disease. If you are in a risk group, the tests at your GP are what count.
Some private clinics and laboratories take creatinine and urine tests for a fee. The result should still be assessed by your GP, who can repeat the tests and look at them together with your blood pressure and medicines. Bring the result to your appointment, and remember that a single test is never enough for a diagnosis.
Book an appointment with your GP if you are in a risk group and have not had your kidneys checked in the past year, or if you notice swelling in your legs, foamy urine, blood in your urine or ongoing tiredness. Call the out of hours service (legevakt) on 116 117 if you suddenly pass very little urine or swell up a lot. If a life is in danger, call 113.
Once you have your test results, you can enter eGFR, creatinine, albumin and blood pressure in the Nyrami app and have them explained in words. The app also has a food scanner, recipes and workouts adapted to the kidneys, and 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.
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.
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.
