National Kidney Disease 

Education Program 

Name: Date: 

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

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) CKD is less than 60 

Your Result: 

GFR estimates how well your kidneys 

are filtering blood. Your goal is to keep 

your GFR from going down. 

Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine CKD is more than 30 Urine albumin checks for kidney 

damage. The lower the result, 

the better. 

Ratio (UACR) Your Result: 

Other Important Tests Results Why It Is Important 

Blood Pressure Goal: Below 130/80 High blood pressure makes the heart 

work harder and can damage blood 

vessels in the kidneys. 

Albumin is a protein that helps measure 

how well you are eating. 

Your Result: 

Serum Albumin Normal: 3.4 to 5.0* 

Your Result: 

Bicarbonate Normal: More than 22 Bicarbonate measures the acid level in 

Your Result: your blood. 

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Normal: Less than 20 BUN checks how much urea, a waste 

Your Result: product, is in your blood. 

Potassium Normal: 3.5 to 5.0* Potassium affects how your nerves and 

muscles are working. High or low levels 

can be dangerous. 

Your Result: 

Calcium Normal: 8.5 to 10.2* Calcium keeps your bones strong and 

your heart rhythm steady. CKD can lower 

the amount of calcium in your bones. 

Your Result: 

Phosphorus Normal: 2.7 to 4.6* Phosphorus is important for strong 

bones and healthy blood vessels. 

High levels may cause soft bones, 

hard blood vessels and itchy skin. 

Your Result: 

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Normal: Less than 65 PTH controls the calcium and 

phosphorus levels in your blood. 

It is needed to keep bones and 

blood vessels healthy. 

Your Result: 

Vitamin D Normal: More than 30 Vitamin D is important for bones and 

Your Result: heart health. 

*Normal ranges may vary. 

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Your Kidney Test Results 

Other Important Tests, continued Results Why It Is Important 

A1C (for patients with diabetes) Goal: Less than 7 A1C measures average blood sugar 

Your Result: levels over 2 – 3 months. 

Total Cholesterol Normal: Less than 200 Cholesterol measures the amount of fat 

in your blood. Too much cholesterol 

can clog blood vessels or arteries in the 

heart and kidneys. 

Your Result: 

HDL Cholesterol Normal: More than 40 HDL is the good cholesterol and clears 

Your Result: bad fats out of your arteries. 

LDL Cholesterol Normal: Less than 100 LDL is the bad cholesterol and can clog 

Your Result: your arteries. 

Triglycerides Normal: Less than 150 Triglyceride is a type of fat in 

Your Result: the blood. 

Hemoglobin (Hgb) Normal: 12 to 17* Low hemoglobin is a sign of anemia. 

Anemia occurs when you don’t have 

enough red blood cells and feel tired. 

Your Result: 

*Normal ranges may vary. 

Notes: 

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

The National Kidney Disease Education Program 

(NKDEP) encourages people to get tested for kidney 

disease and educates those with kidney disease and and Human Services 

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. 10-7407 • April 2010 

U.S. Department of Health 

National Institutes of Health National Kidney Disease 

Education Program 

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