Conditions and symptoms
What Is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)? Plain-English Guide
Chronic kidney disease · say it: KRON-ik KID-nee dih-ZEEZAlso written: CKD, chronic renal disease, chronic renal failure, chronic kidney failure
Short answer
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means the kidneys have been damaged or working less well for at least three months.
What it means
Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, means the kidneys have been damaged or have not been filtering the blood as well as they should for at least three months. It is usually described in stages based on the eGFR blood test and the amount of protein in the urine. Common causes include diabetes and high blood pressure. Early stages often cause no symptoms.
Medicine labels mention CKD because the kidneys remove many medicines from the body. When kidney function is reduced, some medicines can build up, so labels may give lower doses, say a medicine should be avoided, or ask for blood tests. Some medicines are also approved to slow the progression of CKD.
CKD is different from acute kidney injury, which is a sudden drop in kidney function over hours or days. 'Renal' is simply the medical word for kidney, so renal impairment and kidney disease are often used in the same way.
Where you may see it
- The 'Use in Specific Populations: Renal Impairment' section of medicine labels
- Lab reports showing eGFR and creatinine
- Diabetes and blood pressure clinic letters
📄 How it looks on a report
No dosage adjustment is necessary in patients with mild chronic kidney disease. Use is not recommended in severe impairment.
🙅 What it does not mean
- CKD does not mean you will need dialysis. Many people stay at an early stage for life with good care.
- A single low eGFR result does not mean you have CKD. It must persist for three months.
- Being told a medicine needs a lower dose does not mean your kidneys are failing; it is a standard safety step.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Chronic kidney disease”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Empagliflozin
a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, a prescription medicine that works on sugar handling in the kidneys
- Hydrochlorothiazide
A thiazide diuretic, a type of medicine often called a 'water pill'
- Semaglutide
A GLP-1 receptor agonist, a type of medicine that works like the natural GLP-1 hormone in the body
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Chronic kidney disease” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “chronic kidney disease”
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.