Kidney
eGFR / Creatinine
What This Marker Tells Us
Compares your kidney filtration rate to the waste product creatinine uses to calculate it, revealing how efficiently your kidneys clear toxins relative to muscle breakdown byproducts.
Why It Matters
Helps distinguish between true kidney function decline and elevated creatinine from high muscle mass or recent protein intake. A balanced ratio confirms your kidneys are filtering effectively, while imbalances can indicate early kidney stress, dehydration, or metabolic issues before standard tests show problems. Kidney health directly impacts blood pressure regulation, bone density, anemia risk, and cardiovascular disease progression.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Low ratios suggest your creatinine is elevated relative to filtration capacity, potentially from dehydration, excessive protein intake, or early kidney dysfunction. Typical ratios indicate healthy kidney function proportional to your muscle mass and metabolic state. High ratios may reflect very efficient filtration, low muscle mass, or medications affecting creatinine production. Context matters—athletes naturally have different baselines than sedentary individuals.
What Influences This Marker
Hydration status dramatically shifts this ratio within hours. High-protein diets, creatine supplementation, and intense resistance training elevate creatinine. NSAIDs, certain blood pressure medications, and diabetes medications affect both values. Adequate water intake, balanced protein consumption, and managing blood sugar and blood pressure protect kidney function long-term.
How Your Team Uses It
Your health coach uses this ratio to distinguish between benign creatinine elevations and genuine kidney concerns, adjusting hydration protocols, protein timing around testing, and supplement recommendations. Trending changes prompt deeper investigation into metabolic health patterns.
Related Signals We Also Review
BUN/Creatinine ratio, cystatin C, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and electrolyte balance provide additional kidney function context alongside blood pressure and glucose control markers.