What does an eGFR of 75 mean?
An eGFR of 75 mL/min/1.73m² sits in KDIGO band G2, which the guideline labels "mildly decreased". On its own, a result in this band is not chronic kidney disease — a great many healthy adults, especially over 40, sit between 60 and 89 and always will. G2 only counts as kidney disease when there is also a sign of kidney damage, such as albumin in the urine, and the picture lasts longer than three months.
75 mL/min/1.73m² is the conventional unit used by KDIGO and by most labs worldwide. The same result in SI units is about 1.25 mL/s/1.73m², since 1 mL/min/1.73m² is roughly 0.0167 mL/s/1.73m². Some labs report anything in this range simply as ">60" rather than an exact number.
What this test measures
eGFR stands for estimated glomerular filtration rate — an estimate of how much blood the tiny filters in your kidneys clean each minute. The "1.73m²" means the number has been adjusted to a standard adult body size so results can be compared fairly between people. It is not measured directly. The lab measures creatinine, a waste product your muscles make continuously, and a formula converts that into an estimate using your age and sex. That makes eGFR a good screening tool but an imperfect one. A very muscular person, someone who eats a lot of meat, someone who is dehydrated, someone recovering from an illness, and someone taking certain medicines can all get a reading that does not reflect their true filtering rate. Labs also use different versions of the equation, so the same sample can give a slightly different figure in a different building.
Where 75 mL/min/1.73m² sits
The KDIGO chronic kidney disease guideline groups eGFR into "G stages", all in mL/min/1.73m²: G1 is 90 or above, G2 is 60–89 (mildly decreased), G3a is 45–59, G3b is 30–44, G4 is 15–29, and G5 is under 15. A result of 75 sits comfortably inside G2, roughly in the middle of that band. The important detail is that KDIGO does not treat a G stage as a diagnosis. To be called chronic kidney disease, the result has to stay in that band for more than three months, and there must be a second piece of evidence — most often a urine test measuring albumin (albumin-to-creatinine ratio, or ACR). A G2 eGFR with a normal urine test is not classed as kidney disease at all. Only a doctor who can see both results, plus your history, can interpret what yours means.
What to do next
- Ask the doctor or clinic that ordered the test to explain it alongside your other results. A number read in isolation, by anyone, means very little.
- Ask specifically whether a urine albumin test (ACR) has been done. That result is what separates "mildly decreased filtering" from "kidney disease" in the KDIGO system.
- Look for older kidney results. A steady 75 over several years reads very differently from a 75 that was 100 last year.
- Ask when the test should be repeated. Repeating after some weeks or months is the standard way to tell a genuine change from a one-off wobble.
- Bring a full list of everything you take — prescribed, bought without a prescription, herbal or supplement — so your doctor can review it against your kidney results.
Common questions
Is an eGFR of 75 bad?
The KDIGO label "mildly decreased" sounds worse than the situation usually is. A large share of healthy adults, particularly over 40, sit between 60 and 89 and never develop kidney problems. It becomes a medical label only when a sign of kidney damage, such as albumin in the urine, is present too.
Does an eGFR of 75 mean I have stage 2 kidney disease?
Not by itself. "G2" describes a filtering band, not a diagnosis. To be called stage 2 chronic kidney disease, the result would have to stay in that band for more than three months and be accompanied by evidence of kidney damage. Your doctor is the one who can put those pieces together.
My eGFR went from 95 to 75 in a year. Is that normal?
Swings of this size between single tests are common, because creatinine responds to hydration, muscle, diet and the exact formula the lab used. A real, lasting fall is a different matter and is worth checking. The usual next step is simply repeating the test, so ask your doctor when that should happen.
Do I need to see a kidney specialist for an eGFR of 75?
Usually not for the number alone. Guidelines point towards specialist referral for much lower filtering rates, for a fast decline, or when there is a lot of protein in the urine. Your own doctor decides this from your whole picture, not one figure.
Can an eGFR of 75 go back up?
eGFR moves in both directions between tests, and readings that dip for a short-term reason — dehydration, a passing illness — often come back up. Nobody can promise what any individual result will do next, which is exactly why testing is repeated over months rather than judged once.
Should I stop eating protein or change my diet?
Please do not change your diet based on a number you have looked up. Dietary advice around kidneys is individual, and guessing at it can do harm. If you want to change how you eat, ask your doctor or a dietitian who can see your actual results.
I feel completely fine. Does that mean the result is wrong?
Filtering rate and how you feel are only loosely connected — reduced filtering is usually silent until it is far more advanced. Feeling well is genuinely good, but it is not evidence for or against the number being accurate.