eGFR Guidelines for Diabetes: What You Need to Know
When you have diabetes, your eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate, is a key measure of how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood. Also known as estimated GFR, this number tells your doctor if your kidneys are slowing down — a common but preventable complication of long-term diabetes. If your eGFR drops below 60 for three months or more, it signals chronic kidney disease, which affects nearly 40% of adults with diabetes. That’s why tracking eGFR isn’t optional — it’s part of every diabetes care plan.
Doctors use eGFR along with urine tests to spot early kidney damage. The diabetic kidney disease, a condition where high blood sugar slowly damages the tiny filters in your kidneys often shows no symptoms until it’s advanced. That’s why checking eGFR at least once a year is standard. For most people with diabetes, an eGFR above 90 is normal. Between 60 and 89 means mild loss of function. Below 60 needs attention. Below 30? That’s serious — it means you’re approaching kidney failure and may need dialysis or a transplant soon.
What affects your eGFR? Blood sugar control is the biggest factor. But high blood pressure, certain medications like NSAIDs, and even dehydration can drop your numbers. That’s why managing your diabetes management, the daily habits and medical care that keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in target range matters more than any single test. Losing weight, cutting salt, avoiding smoking, and taking SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists (drugs proven to protect kidneys) can slow or even reverse early damage.
You’ll see eGFR on your lab reports, but what do you do with it? If your number drops, don’t panic. Talk to your doctor about adjusting meds, checking for protein in your urine, and setting new goals. Many people stabilize their eGFR with simple changes. Others need more support — and that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s staying ahead of the damage before it’s too late.
Below you’ll find real-world posts that break down how eGFR fits into daily care, what drugs help or hurt kidney function, how to read your lab results, and what steps actually make a difference when you’re living with diabetes. No fluff. Just what works.
