Creatinine is an amino acid that can be found in the humanbody, or more precisely, in the muscle tissue, and it is responsible for the energynecessary for muscle contraction. It is a byproduct of muscle metabolism, becauseafter it is formed, it gets to the kidneys where it is filtered and expelledthrough the urine. The tests of the levels of this amino acid in blood areusually done in order to check the health of the kidneys.
What if levels of creatinine in the blood are low?
It is important to stress out that it happens extremelyrarely that the levels of creatinine in the blood are low, but even if a persongets such results, it is not a reason for concern. Generally, males have a bithigher blood levels of creatinine than females, but the reason for that differenceis in the difference of the mass of muscle tissue between them. Based on this, itis possible to conclude that lower levels of creatinine in the blood areusually a sign of decreased muscle mass, and it is not far from the truth. The factis that lower levels of creatinine in the blood usually indicate some conditionthat is responsible for the reduced muscle mass, among which a very common oneis myasthenia gravis. Some of such diseases of the muscular system may even becongenital, but it is also a fact that older people very often have lowerlevels of creatinine in their blood, because their muscle mass reduces overtime.
When are blood levels of creatinine low?
When a person is on a low protein diet, it will result inlow levels of creatinine in its blood. Such a diet usually does not includebeef, tuna, pork, and other foods that are rich in proteins. It is not uncommon that pregnant women also have lower levels ofcreatinine in the blood, because the fetus needs the nutrients in order todevelop, and they are transported from the mother to the baby. However, thelevels are usually normalized after the childbirth, which means that there is noreason for concern in such cases either. Certain diseases of the liver, such as hepatitis, fattyliver disease, as well as other conditions that can affect this organ, may alsoprovoke lower levels of creatinine in the blood. This is because the productionof this amino acid is stopped or decreased after the disease advances.
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