Does smoking cause low eGFR numbers?

Smoking is a significant risk factor in kidney disease and can help to cause low estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, numbers, according to Patient. A low eGFR rate indicates reduced kidney function, meaning the kidneys do not filter waste products as efficiently as they should.

Tests proved smoking to be a culprit in kidney disease as early as 1978, DaVita explains. Smoking harms the kidneys by increasing blood pressure, increasing production of kidney hormones, thickening and hardening the renal arteries, and generally accelerating the loss of renal function. Smoking even contributes to renal failure in people who don't have pre-existing kidney disease by admitting toxins into the body.