Washington, D.C., 12 March 2015 (PAHO/WHO) - The PAHO/WHO Cardiovascular Risk Calculator has been updated to estimate the glomerular filtration rate, which is used to assess the state of kidney function.
One of the parameters of the Glomerular Filtration module is creatinine, determined by a blood test that can be carried out in most laboratories. Other parameters are age, gender, and whether the person is of African descent.
If the estimated glomerular filtration rate is below 60 mL/minute, some degree of kidney damage is likely. In that case, it is recommended to consult a medical professional who will interpret the result in the specific context of each patient.
Chronic kidney disease is silent in most cases and does not present clinical signs or symptoms until well-advanced stages of the disease. The only way of determining the state of renal function, in the absence of clinical manifestations, is by estimating glomerular filtration and determining markers of kidney damage.
Estimating glomerular filtration is recommended to people who have risk factors for kidney diseases such as diabetes, people who have hypertension, and older persons. It also is useful for people with other risk factors, such as agricultural workers exposed to pesticides and exhausting work conditions, people who take non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, and people with kidney stones, recurrent urinary tract infections, or other kidney diseases.
