What is chronic kidney disease?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD and chronic renal disease) means that there’s damage to your kidneys and they aren’t working as well as they should. Your kidneys are like a filter in your body — filtering out wastes, toxins and extra water from your blood. They also help with other functions like bone and red blood cell health. When your kidneys begin to lose their function, they can’t filter waste, which means the waste builds up in your blood.
Kidney disease is called “chronic” because kidney function slowly decreases over time. CKD can lead to kidney failure, which is also called end-stage kidney disease. Not everyone with CKD will develop kidney failure, but the disease will often worsen without treatment. There’s no cure for chronic kidney disease. But there are steps you can take to slow kidney damage. Treatments like dialysis and transplantation are options for kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease).
What do your kidneys do?
You have two kidneys. They’re bean-shaped organs that are located toward your back, on either side of your spine, just underneath your rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of your fist.
Your kidneys have many jobs, but their main job is to clean your blood, getting rid of toxins, waste and excess water as urine (pee). Your kidneys also balance the amount of electrolytes (such as salt and potassium) and minerals in your body, make hormones that control blood pressure, make red blood cells and keep your bones strong. If your kidneys are damaged and don’t work as they should, wastes can build up in your blood and make you sick.
Advertisem*nt
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What are the 5 stages of chronic kidney disease?
There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. The stages are based on how well your kidneys are able to filter out waste from your blood. Blood and urine tests determine which stage of CKD you’re in.
The stages range from very mild (stage 1) to kidney failure (stage 5). Healthcare providers determine the stage of your kidney function according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Your GFR is a number based on the amount of creatinine, a waste product, found in your blood.
| Stage | GFR (mL/min) | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 90 and higher | Your kidneys are working well but you have signs of mild kidney damage. |
| Stage 2 | 60 to 89 | Your kidneys are working well but you have more signs of mild kidney damage. |
| Stage 3a | 45 to 59 | Your kidneys aren’t working as well as they should and show mild to moderate damage. This is the most common stage. You may notice symptoms at this stage. |
| Stage 3b | 30 to 44 | Your kidneys show moderate damage and don’t work as well as they should. With the right treatment, many people can stay in this stage and never advance to stage 4. |
| Stage 4 | 15 to 29 | You have very poor kidney function; your kidneys are severely damaged and close to not working. |
| Stage 5 | Less than 15 | Your kidneys are very close to failing or have stopped working. You may need kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant at this stage. |
| Stage | ||
| Stage 1 | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| 90 and higher | ||
| What It Means | ||
| Your kidneys are working well but you have signs of mild kidney damage. | ||
| Stage 2 | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| 60 to 89 | ||
| What It Means | ||
| Your kidneys are working well but you have more signs of mild kidney damage. | ||
| Stage 3a | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| 45 to 59 | ||
| What It Means | ||
| Your kidneys aren’t working as well as they should and show mild to moderate damage. This is the most common stage. You may notice symptoms at this stage. | ||
| Stage 3b | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| 30 to 44 | ||
| What It Means | ||
| Your kidneys show moderate damage and don’t work as well as they should. With the right treatment, many people can stay in this stage and never advance to stage 4. | ||
| Stage 4 | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| 15 to 29 | ||
| What It Means | ||
| You have very poor kidney function; your kidneys are severely damaged and close to not working. | ||
| Stage 5 | ||
| GFR (mL/min) | ||
| Less than 15 | ||
| What It Means | ||
| Your kidneys are very close to failing or have stopped working. You may need kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant at this stage. |
How common is this condition?
About 15% of adults in the United States have chronic kidney disease. Some 37 million people in the U.S. are living with chronic kidney disease.
