When will I need to start treatment?
Treatment is needed when someone has stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD), or kidney failure. Your doctor can tell your stage of CKD by checking your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Your GFR can be esti¬mated from the results of a blood test for creatinine, a waste product from muscle activity. If your GFR falls below 15, you are said to have kidney failure (CKD stage 5), and you will need to have some form of treatment to replace the function of your kidneys. If your GFR is less than 30, your doctor should talk to you about the differ¬ent treatments for kidney failure. Learn all you can to make the best treatment choic¬es for yourself and your family.