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Since early stages of kidney disease do not have any symptoms, your doctor may first detect the condition through routine blood and urine tests.

Your doctor may perform very simple tests that include:

 Blood pressure measurement

 Measurement of the level of protein in the urine. Increased levels of protein in your urine—called proteinuria—show your kidneys are not working properly.

 Measurement of the level of serum creatinine in the blood to estimate to estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). GFR is a calculation of how efficiently the kidneys are filtering wastes from the blood.

Additional tests and procedures:

 Blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Urea, a compound that contains nitrogen, is a waste product that results from breakdown of proteins. If the kidneys are not working well, the urea will stay in the blood.

 Renal imaging (taking pictures of the kidneys) such as ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to detect unusual growth or blockage to urine flow.

 Renal biopsy. A kidney tissue sample from your kidney is obtained. The sample is viewed under a microscope to help identify problems in the cellular level.

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