If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you may already be familiar with your eGFR. But do you know your uACR?

These two tests look at different parts of kidney health, and you need both to get a more complete picture of how your kidneys are doing.

In September 2026, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) highlighted the importance of using both tests when it announced support for expanded annual kidney health evaluations for adults with diabetes or high blood pressure. These conditions are two of the most common risk factors for CKD.

Understanding your own kidney numbers can help you have better conversations with your healthcare team and follow changes in your kidney health over time.

What Does Your eGFR Tell You?

Your kidneys act like filters. They remove waste and extra fluid from your blood so your body can get rid of them through urine.

The estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, is a blood test that estimates how well your kidneys are doing that filtering job. It is usually calculated using the amount of creatinine in your blood. Creatinine is a waste product your body normally makes.

In general:

• An eGFR of 60 or higher may be considered within the normal range, although other signs of kidney damage can still be present.
• An eGFR below 60 may be a sign of kidney disease.
• An eGFR of 15 or lower may mean the kidneys are severely damaged or failing.

One test result usually does not tell the whole story. Your healthcare provider will look at your results over time, along with your medical history and other tests.

If you already have CKD, watching how your eGFR changes can help your healthcare team understand whether your kidney function is staying stable or declining.

What Does Your uACR Tell You?

Your urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, or uACR, is a urine test.

It looks for albumin, a protein that normally stays in your blood. Healthy kidneys usually keep albumin from passing into your urine. When the filters inside the kidneys become damaged, some albumin can leak through.

That means albumin in your urine can sometimes be an early sign of kidney damage—even when your eGFR still looks relatively normal.

A uACR result is usually reported as milligrams of albumin per gram of creatinine, or mg/g.

Generally:

• Below 30 mg/g is considered normal.
• 30 mg/g or higher may be a sign of kidney disease.

A high result does not automatically mean you have CKD. Your healthcare provider may repeat the test because albumin levels can sometimes change temporarily. Kidney disease is usually diagnosed based on persistent changes over time rather than one abnormal result.

For people who already have CKD, uACR can also help show whether kidney damage is changing. A urine albumin level that stays the same or goes down may be a sign that treatment is helping.

Why You Need Both Numbers

Think of eGFR and uACR as answering two different questions.

• eGFR asks: How well are my kidneys filtering my blood?
• uACR asks: Is protein leaking through my kidneys, which may be a sign of damage?

Looking at only one can leave out important information.

For example, you may have an eGFR above 60 but still have elevated albumin in your urine. In that situation, your kidney filtration may still appear fairly strong, but the urine test could show signs of kidney damage.

This is also the reason for the recent push to improve testing. The NKF’s newly endorsed quality measure calls for adults ages 18 to 85 with diabetes and/or high blood pressure to receive both an eGFR blood test and a uACR urine test during the year.

Questions to Ask at Your Next Appointment

You do not have to memorize complicated kidney numbers. But it can be helpful to know what your latest results are and how they are changing.

Consider asking your healthcare provider:

• What is my latest eGFR?
• What is my latest uACR?
• How have these numbers changed over time?
• What do my results mean for my stage or risk of CKD?
• How often should I have these tests repeated?
• Is there anything I can do to help protect my kidney function?

Keeping copies of your laboratory results can also make it easier to see trends over time.

Know Both Numbers

CKD can progress without causing obvious symptoms, so testing is an important part of understanding what is happening inside your body.

Your eGFR tells you how well your kidneys are filtering your blood. Your uACR can show whether protein is leaking into your urine. Neither number tells the entire story by itself.

If you know one kidney number but not the other, consider asking your healthcare provider about both at your next visit. Knowing your eGFR and uACR can help you better understand your kidney health and take a more active role in your care.

*National Kidney Foundation. (September 9, 2026) “Partnership for Quality Measurement Endorses NKF Measure to Advance Earlier Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease.” kidney.org

The information provided by Responsum for CKD is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Always talk with your nephrologist or other qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your treatment or kidney care. Responsum for CKD does not endorse specific treatments, providers, or products.