Kidney Testing
Our Kidney Test includes a blood sample to provide insights into how well your kidneys are filtering waste products from your blood.
We test for:
Urea,
Creatinine and
eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
Collection Methods
Finger Prick
What to know
What to know
Who should be tested
7.2 million people in the United Kingdom are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD).* Up to 1 million of these people are undiagnosed and unaware they have a serious health condition.** The sooner you know more about your kidney health, the sooner you can take steps with your provider to protect them. Because early CKD has no signs or symptoms, getting tested regularly can help prevent or manage CKD and lower the risk of kidney failure. Testing can start conversations with your healthcare provider about managing your kidney health. In particular, people with risk factors for kidney disease should stay on top of their kidney testing.
You should consider testing if you have the following risk factors for CKD:
You have diabetes
You have high blood pressure (hypertension)
You have heart disease and/or heart failure
You are obese
You are over the age of 60
You have a family history of CKD or kidney failure
You have a personal history of acute kidney injury (AKI)
You smoke and/or use of tobacco products
References
*https://kidneycareuk.org/kidney-disease-information/about-kidney-health/facts-about-kidneys/#:~:text=Kidney%20disease%20in%20the%20UK,become%20increasingly%20difficult%20to%20manage. **https://kidneyresearchuk.org/2017/03/09/new-survey-finds-55-of-people-in-uk-at-greatest-risk-of-kidney-disease-are-unaware-of-the-risk-they-face/#:~:text=Moderate%20to%20severe%20chronic%20kidney,unaware%20they%20have%20the%20condition.
Additional testing, such as urine tests, may be recommended. Talk to your healthcare provider about the most suitable tests for you and how often they should be performed.
When to collect your sample
You should collect your sample Monday-Thursday and return the sample on the same day. Consuming large amounts of protein, including red meat, protein shakes, and supplements, before collecting your sample may impact your creatinine result by temporarily elevating it.
Symptoms
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood and removing waste products through your urine. If the kidneys become damaged over time, this is called chronic kidney disease (also known as CKD). During the early stages of CKD, you may not experience any symptoms at all. The only way to find out for sure if you have CKD is through testing. The earlier treatment starts, the better. In the later stages of CKD, symptoms can include:
Swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, and hands
Pain in your lower back
Feeling weak and tired for long periods of time
Urinating more or less than usual or producing less urine
Itchy or dry skin
Muscle cramps or seizures
This testing option is not an alternative to a consultation with a healthcare provider. Please talk to your healthcare provider about any concerns or symptoms. Your healthcare provider may recommend additional tests to check the health of your kidneys, such as a urine test.
What's measured
Urea
Urea is waste produced by the liver when it breaks down protein. It is passed from the liver to the kidneys through the bloodstream. Once filtered through the kidneys, urea leaves the body as urine.
Creatinine
Creatinine is another waste product formed when muscles contract. Creatinine travels through the bloodstream from muscles to the kidneys, where it is filtered out and leaves the body in urine. If you have kidney disease, the kidneys can have trouble removing creatinine from your blood, and the level of creatinine in your blood can increase.
eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
Your kidneys filter all the blood in your body every 30 minutes for your entire life. They remove wastes, toxins, and excess fluid from your blood. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is an estimate of how well your kidneys remove waste products from the blood. It is calculated using your creatinine level, age, and sex.
How it works
Collect your sample
Activate your collection kit and collect your sample in the morning. Return your sample on the same day, using the prepaid shipping label provided.
Review accurate results
Once your sample arrives in the laboratory, confidential results will be available from your secure online account within 2 to 5 days.
Get medical support
Our dedicated clinical team is here to support you and may call you to explain your results and provide guidance on your next steps.
Still have questions?
Here are some questions we usually get about LetsGetChecked. If you would like yours answered, please contact us.
Activating the kit connects you to the unique alphanumeric barcode within your LetsGetChecked sample collection kit box. The laboratory cannot process your sample if the kit is not activated and linked to you. You should only activate your kit when you are ready to take your sample.
Yes. LetsGetChecked has a team of doctors, nurses, and healthcare clinicians who will review your order and results and have created detailed result breakdowns for your testing journey.
Our clinical team is on standby throughout the testing process and, if your test results are abnormal, you may receive a call to discuss your results and the next steps.
Please ensure that the sample is collected in the morning on a Monday - Thursday and returned immediately using the carrier method provided within the sample collection kit. Each of our kits includes a prepaid delivery envelope to return your samples to the laboratory.
Please do not collect or return samples on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Keeping your personal data secure is important to us. We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure security and confidentiality of your information, and only share your information where required to deliver our products and services or where we have a legal basis to do so. All samples are disposed of following analysis.
Your samples are analysed with CE-marked tests in the same labs used by primary care providers, hospitals, and government programs.
LetsGetChecked laboratories are CPA-approved and ISO certified, which are the highest levels of accreditation.
Our home sample collection kits are manufactured within our ISO 13485 certified facility, the highest level of accreditation for medical devices.
We don't accept insurance at this time. We work to keep our tests as affordable as possible and our test costs are generally lower than the costs incurred from a trip to a healthcare provider.