What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a waste product produced by your muscles. Creatinine enters your blood, is processed by the kidney’s and eventually, excreted in urine.
Creatinine is produced when creatine phosphate is broken down when your cells create energy though metabolism.
Creatinine is different than creatine although they are related.
Creatine is one of several complicated biochemical molecules involved in supplying the muscles with the energy they need. Creatine is one of the most beneficial naturally occurring amino acids. It is primarily found in animal flesh and helps the body generate energy.
Through that process of creating energy, Creatine is broken down into several metabolites. Creatinine is one of them.
Creatinine is a Waste Product
Creatinine is a waste product and no longer provides any value to the body. Therefore, it is eliminated via the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
The elimination process may be hampered by various disorders or limited by physiological factors. This influences the amount of creatinine found in the blood versus how much is excreted.
Blood Test for Creatinine
One of the most important indications of renal (or kidney) function is the amount of creatinine in the blood. Typically, if your kidneys are functioning properly, blood levels remain in the normal range.
A biochemical blood test is used to assess the quantity of creatinine in most circumstances.
Concentration is typically measured milligrams to a deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or micromoles to a liter of blood (micromoles/L).
What’s a “Normal” level of Creatinine in the Blood?
Blood levels of are reported in as Serum Creatinine Levels. The results are typically expressed as milligrams to a deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or micromoles to a liter of blood (micromoles/L). For adults, normal reference ranges are as follows:
- Men:
- 0.74 to 1.35 mg/dL
- 65.4 to 119.3 micromoles/L
- Women:
- 0.59 to 1.04 mg/dL
- 52.2 to 91.9 micromoles/L
Gender does not affect reference values up to the age of 15 years. The norm of creatinine in the biochemical blood test varies exclusively with age throughout these developmental years.
Hormonal changes occur at the start of puberty, and at that point, the reference levels for men and women diverge.
Why Might You Need a Creatinine Test?
A creatinine test is often used to evaluate the kidneys’ filtration performance. It can also be useful following certain injuries or diseases or as a diagnostic tool in assessing impact from a variety of disorders.
This test is typically included in annual blood panels, but often is also included in testing batteries in the following situations:
- suspected development of renal failure
- any kidney disease (pyelonephritis, polycystic, urolithiasis, glomerulonephritis)
- severe injury or burns
- any injury, atrophy, or rupture of the muscles
- diseases of the endocrine system
- diseases of the cardiovascular system
- acute inflammatory diseases
- sepsis
- postoperative period
How to Prepare for a Creatinine Test
The guidelines for preparing for a biochemical analysis to determine creatinine are similar to those for preparing for any other blood test.
The test is carried out on an empty stomach in the morning (the last meal no later than 8 pm).
Before the test, for the most accurate results, you should:
- avoid overly stressful activities
- limit physical activity
- do not visit the sauna
- do not drink alcohol
- do not dramatically change your diet
- not smoke for 1-2 hours before the test
Reasons for Increased Creatinine Levels
There are several possible causes for an elevated amount of creatinine in a patient’s blood. Some of the most common are listed below:
- a large amount of muscle mass
- power sports (powerlifting, bodybuilding, wrestling, etc.)
- the use of a large number of meat dishes
- the use of certain drugs (tetracycline antibiotics, cephalosporins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- acute and chronic kidney disease
- violation of the patency of the urinary tract
- diseases of the cardiovascular system (due to impaired blood supply, the kidneys suffer)
- excessive activity of the thyroid gland (from the excessive synthesis of thyroid hormones, the process of decay in the muscles begins)
- radiation sickness
Should You Try to Reduce Blood Creatinine Levels?
The first thing to keep in mind is that a higher than reference range result might not be a problem. For example, someone with a larger than normal muscle mass who exercises regularly might have elevated levels.
Therefore, you should consult with your doctor on root causes and possible treatments or interventions before taking action to change your results.
Easy as 1-2-3 Summary
Creatinine is a waste product produced by your muscles as part of a normal metabolic processes. Creatinine is different than Creatine, although they are related.
Blood creatinine levels are primarily used as an indicator of kidney function so medical professionals encourage frequent monitoring of creatinine levels.
Additional Resources, References, and Further Reading
The following resources were used to inform this article. They also offer an opportunity for additional research and exploration.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322380