Creatinine is a break-down product of creatinine phosphate in muscle. This is something that naturally occurs in human body and it is usually produces at a constant rate, which actually depends on the total muscle mass. Creatinine is filtered out of the blood by kidneys and if the blood levels of creatinine are too high, it indicates that the filtering capability of the kidney is deficient.
Creatinine levels are usually measured in blood and urine tests and expressed as the creatinine clearance rate. This is the volume of blood plasma that is cleared of creatinine per unit time. It is useful to measure the flow rate of filtered fluid through kidney and to determine the quality of renal function. In other words, creatinine levels are trustworthy indicators of kidney function.
Testing
Creatinine blood test is often ordered to evaluate the body and kidney function. Sometimes this is important to do before starting a particular treatment, and very often it is done during routine physical exams. It is also important for acutely or chronically ill patients, as it helps to determine if the kidneys have been affected. For example, people suffering from diabetes may be at increased risk of kidney damage.
Results
Low levels of creatinine in the blood are not normal but this isn’t something a patient should be worried about. Low creatinine levels are usually found in people with decreased or low muscle mass as the creatinine production directly depends on the actual muscle mass. However, high levels of creatinine in the blood may suggest that the kidneys are not functioning well. Sometimes, problems with kidneys are just manifestations of some other medical condition.
For example, high levels of creatinine may indicate damage or swelling of the blood vessels in the kidneys, which is usually caused by some kind of inflammatory autoimmune disease. Other possible reasons include bacterial infection of the kidneys, death of the kidney cells as a result of exposure to toxins, any kind of disease that causes the urinary tract obstruction, or simple reduced blood flow to the kidney (that usually results from dehydration, heart problems, atherosclerosis, or from diabetes). Doctors should also rule out any kind of muscle injury as a reason behind the abnormally high test results.
Normal value
A normal value for creatinine is in the blood is 0.8 to 1.4 mg/dL. In most cases, females have lower levels of creatinine since they have less muscle mass. However, during the pregnancy, levels of creatinine may slightly rise.
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