1

National Kidney Disease

Education Program

Name: Date:

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Tests Results Why It Is Important

Serum Creatinine and Estimated 

Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)

CKD is an eGFR less than 60 

Your Serum Creatinine Result:

Your eGFR Result:

eGFR estimates how well your kidneys 

are filtering blood. As kidney disease 

gets worse, the creatinine goes up 

and the eGFR goes down. 

Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine

Ratio (UACR)

CKD is more than 30 

Your Result:

Urine albumin checks for kidney 

damage. The lower the result, 

the better.

 

Other Important Tests Results Why It Is Important

Blood Pressure Goal: 

Your Result:

High blood pressure makes the heart 

work harder and can damage blood 

vessels in the kidneys. 

Serum Albumin Normal: 3.4 to 5.0* 

Your Result:

Albumin is a protein that helps measure 

how well you are eating. 

Bicarbonate Normal: More than 22 

Your Result:

Bicarbonate measures the acid level in 

your blood. 

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Normal: Less than 20 

Your Result:

BUN checks how much urea, a waste 

product, is in your blood. 

Potassium Normal: 3.5 to 5.0* 

Your Result:

Potassium affects how your nerves and 

muscles are working. High or low levels 

can be dangerous. 

Calcium Normal: 8.5 to 10.2* 

Your Result:

Calcium keeps your bones strong and 

your heart rhythm steady. CKD can lower 

the amount of calcium in your bones.

Phosphorus Normal: 2.7 to 4.6*

Your Result:

Phosphorus is important for strong 

bones and healthy blood vessels. 

High levels may cause soft bones, 

hard blood vessels and itchy skin.

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Normal: Less than 65 

Your Result:

PTH controls the calcium and 

phosphorus levels in your blood. 

It is needed to keep bones and 

blood vessels healthy. 

Vitamin D Normal: 20 or more 

Your Result:

Vitamin D is important for bones and 

heart health.

*Normal ranges may vary.
2

Your Kidney Test Results

Other Important Tests, continued Results Why It Is Important

A1C (for patients with diabetes) Goal: 

Your Result:

A1C estimates average blood sugar 

levels over 2 to 3 months.

Total Cholesterol Normal: Less than 200 

Your Result:

Cholesterol measures the amount of fat 

in your blood. Too much cholesterol 

can clog blood vessels or arteries in the 

heart and kidneys. 

HDL Cholesterol Normal: More than 40 

Your Result:

HDL is the good cholesterol and clears 

bad fats out of your arteries.

LDL Cholesterol Normal: Less than 100 

Your Result:

LDL is the bad cholesterol and can clog 

your arteries. 

Triglycerides Normal: Less than 150 

Your Result:

Triglyceride is a type of fat in 

the blood.

Hemoglobin (Hgb) Normal: 12 to 17* 

Your Result:

Low hemoglobin is a sign of anemia. 

You may feel tired if you have anemia.

*Normal ranges may vary.

Notes:

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) 

encourages people to get tested for kidney disease and 

educates those with kidney disease and their providers 

about treatments that can help delay or prevent kidney 

failure. NKDEP is a program of the National Institutes 

of Health.

NIH Publication No. 13-7407 • Revised February 2013

For more information, visit www.nkdep.nih.gov or call 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639).

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®