How to Use the Calculator
- Input Required Measurements:
- Age: Provide your current age.
- Sex: Indicate if you are male or female..
- Weight: Enter your weight in kilograms.
- Height: Specify your height in centimeters.
- Serum Creatinine (mg/dL): Enter your blood test result.
- The calculator will use the Cockcroft-Gault equation to estimate your creatinine clearance.
What’s a Healthy or Unhealthy Range?
For most adults, a CrCl of over 90 mL/min is normal. Values over 60 mL/min are often acceptable in the absence of other kidney disease markers.
However, CrCl tends to decrease naturally with age, typically by 0.4–1.2 mL/min per year after age 40.
What is Creatinine Clearance?
Creatinine clearance (CrCl) measures the volume of blood plasma cleared of creatinine per minute. It reflects how well your kidneys are filtering waste and is often used as an estimate of the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR).
Kidneys are essential for:
- Excretion: Removing waste from the bloodstream.
- Urine Formation: Regulating body fluids and waste.
- Balance: Maintaining water, salt, and acid-base levels.
- Blood Pressure Regulation: Through hormone secretion.
Creatinine Clearance Equation (Cockcroft-Gault Equation)
The Cockcroft-Gault equation is a widely used formula to estimate CrCl:
CrCl = (140 - age) × weight × sex / (72 × sCr)
Where:
The coefficient sex equals. 0.85 for females or 1 for males.
Other Formulas for Estimating GFR
Apart from the Cockcroft-Gault equation, other methods for estimating GFR include:
Kidneys are essential for:
- CKD-EPI Creatinine Equation
- CKD-EPI Creatinine-Cystatin Equation
- CKD-EPI Cystatin C Equation
- MDRD Study Equation
Each equation has specific use cases based on age, sex, and health conditions.
Key Considerations
- Aging and CrCl: GFR decreases progressively with age, even in healthy individuals.
- Pediatric Use: Use a pediatric GFR calculator for children, as the equations differ.
With regular monitoring and an understanding of CrCl, you can take proactive steps to maintain optimal kidney health.
Why Use This Calculator?
- Monitor Kidney Health: Detect and track changes in renal function.
- Safe Drug Dosing: Ensure accurate dosing for medications cleared by the kidneys.
- Early Detection: Identify early signs of renal dysfunction before symptoms arise.
- Customizable Results: Utilize personalized inputs to improve diagnostic accuracy.