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eGFR (MDRD Study equation)

The 4-variable IDMS-traceable MDRD equation, 175 × Scr^−1.154 × age^−0.203 (× 0.742 female), estimates GFR in mL/min/1.73 m². It has been superseded by CKD-EPI 2021 and underestimates GFR above 60.

Serum creatinine (mg/dL or µmol/L)
Age (years)
Sex: Male; Female
Black race (original race coefficient ×1.212) (yes/no)

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Interpretation

Result	Meaning
≥ 90	G1
60–89	G2
45–59	G3a
30–44	G3b
15–29	G4
< 15	G5

Formula

eGFR = 175 × Scr (mg/dL)^−1.154 × age^−0.203 × 0.742 [if female] × 1.212 [if Black, original equation]

Clinical pearls

Values above 60 mL/min/1.73 m² are imprecise; many labs reported them only as ">60".
The race coefficient is part of the original published equation but is no longer recommended; leave it off unless reproducing historical values.

Examples

mdrd gfr creat 2.0 70 year old female mdrd egfr 50M cr 88 umol/L

FAQ

Is MDRD still used?

Rarely; most labs switched to CKD-EPI (2009, then the race-free 2021 version) because MDRD underestimates GFR in people with near-normal kidney function.

What is the difference between the 186 and 175 MDRD equations?

175 is the re-expressed version for IDMS-standardised creatinine assays; 186 was for older non-standardised assays.

Evidence

Levey AS et al. Using standardized serum creatinine values in the MDRD Study equation for estimating GFR. Ann Intern Med 2006;145:247–54.

Nephrology & Electrolytes · Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Methodology