Screening For Chronic Kidney Disease

by Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

En Español (Spanish Version)

The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually given to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.

Screening Guidelines

People who are at high risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) should have regular testing. Early diagnosis and care can delay problems later on. Those at high risk for CKD are people who:

Have diabetes
Are aged 65 years and older
Have high blood pressure
Have a family history of CKD
Have problems with the urinary system, including other kidney related diseases

Screening Tests

Tests are done to see how well your kidneys are working. Screening may include:

Blood tests—To detect how well the kidneys are filtering wastes from the blood. High amounts of wastes in the bloodstream may point to a problem.
Urine tests to:
- Look for proteins that should be filtered out and returned to the bloodstream
- Compare protein levels with one another
- Detect minerals such as calcium or potassium
- Check the acid level of the urine

Your doctor will work with you on how often you need to be screened.

REFERENCES:

About chronic kidney disease. National Kidney Foundation website. Available at: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease. Updated February 15, 2017. Accessed June 19, 2018.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T115336/Chronic-kidney-disease-CKD-in-adults . Updated May 14, 2018. Accessed June 19, 2018.

Chronic kidney disease tests & diagnosis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/tests-diagnosis. Updated October 2016. Accessed June 19, 2018.

Hallan SI, Dahl K, Olen CM, et al. Screening strategies for chronic kidney disease in the general population: follow-up of cross sectional health survey. Brit Med J. 2006;333(7577):1047-1053.

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Last reviewed May 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrienne Carmack, MD
Last Updated: 06/19/2018

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