Kidney Function Test (KFT)
Creatinine, urea and electrolytes in one panel — the silent-damage check every diabetic and BP patient needs.
The kidney function test measures how well your kidneys are filtering. Creatinine — a waste product of muscle — is the anchor value: healthy kidneys clear it steadily, so a rising level means filtration is slipping, and from it doctors estimate the eGFR, the filtration percentage figure used on reports in both India and the US. Urea rises alongside when clearance falls or when the body is dehydrated, and the electrolytes sodium and potassium show whether the kidneys are keeping the blood's chemistry in its narrow safe band.
Kidneys fail silently — there is no pain, and symptoms like swelling or tiredness arrive only after most of the filtering capacity is already lost. The two biggest causes of kidney damage in India and worldwide are diabetes and high blood pressure, which is why anyone with either condition needs this panel periodically, not just when something feels wrong. The sample is processed in our own laboratory, most routine reports come the same day, and the result is read at Dr. Khanna's desk in the context of your sugar, BP and medicines.
Who should consider this
- Diabetics and blood pressure patients, for whom a periodic KFT is standard monitoring, not an optional extra
- Anyone who uses painkillers frequently — regular pain-tablet use is a well-known quiet strain on kidneys
- Swelling of the feet, ankles or around the eyes, especially noticeable in the morning
- Changes in urine: frothing, reduced quantity, or repeated night-time urination
- A family history of kidney disease, or a previous report showing borderline creatinine
- Before starting certain long-term medicines whose doses depend on kidney function
- Persistent unexplained tiredness, nausea or loss of appetite in an older person
How to prepare
Usually no special preparation needed
- Fasting is generally not required; if the KFT is clubbed with fasting sugar or lipids, we will confirm the plan when you book
- Drink water normally beforehand — arriving dehydrated can nudge urea and creatinine upwards and blur the picture
- Avoid a very heavy workout the day before, since intense exercise temporarily raises creatinine
- Tell us your full medicine list, including painkillers taken off and on — several affect both kidneys and results
- Carry old reports: a creatinine that has drifted from 0.9 to 1.3 over two years matters more than either number alone
What happens at the clinic
The KFT needs one blood sample from the arm, drawn in a minute or two; sometimes a urine sample is requested alongside, since protein leaking into urine is the earliest kidney warning of all — earlier than any blood value. Either way the visit for just the tests is short, typically under fifteen minutes, and the samples are processed in-house.
Your report, and what happens next
Most routine KFT reports come the same day. A normal panel in a diabetic or BP patient is a genuine result — it dates the all-clear and sets the baseline for next time. If creatinine is raised, Dr. Khanna first separates the temporary causes — dehydration, a recent illness, a medicine — from a real filtration decline, usually with a repeat test, and then adjusts what needs adjusting: tighter sugar and BP control, a change in painkiller habits, or a specialist referral when the numbers call for one.
What it costs
The KFT is billed as one panel covering creatinine, urea and electrolytes. Adding a urine protein check, or bundling the KFT with sugar and lipid testing — the combination most diabetics need anyway — changes the total, and bundled tests usually cost less than the same tests done piecemeal.
Call +91 73148 55445 for today's rate — it takes a minute and there are no surprise charges. If mobility is a problem for an elderly patient, ask about sample collection options when you call; we arrange help when staffing allows.
Common questions
My creatinine is slightly above the range. Are my kidneys failing?
One mildly raised value is not a verdict — dehydration, a heavy workout, high muscle mass and certain medicines all push creatinine up temporarily. The proper response is a repeat test under good conditions and a look at the trend over time, which is exactly what your doctor will arrange.
I have diabetes but feel fine. How often do I need a KFT?
At least once a year, because diabetic kidney damage produces no symptoms until it is far advanced — feeling fine is not evidence. If a previous report was borderline, or your sugar control has been poor, your doctor may shorten the gap to six months.
Do everyday painkillers really harm the kidneys?
Occasional use in a healthy person is generally fine. The risk builds with regular use — a tablet most days for joint pain, for instance — and multiplies in people who are older, diabetic or dehydrated. If you need painkillers often, that itself is worth a consultation, and a periodic KFT keeps the habit honest.
Why was a urine test asked for along with the blood test?
Because protein leaking into urine is the earliest sign of kidney strain, appearing years before creatinine moves. The blood panel shows how much filtering capacity remains; the urine check shows whether damage has started at all. Together they catch trouble at the stage where treatment protects the most.
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