What is creatinine?

Index

  • What is creatinine?
  • Normal values
  • Why does it increase
  • Creatinine clearance
  • Low creatinine
  • How to lower high creatinine

When we perform a basic blood test we can find different elements that tend to be analyzed and studied on a daily and regular basis, as they are parameters that inform the medical specialist about the good or bad functioning of certain organs of our body.

So, for example, we can mention the transaminases to find out if the liver works correctly or if certain habits (such as high alcohol consumption or a high-fat diet) are influencing your health. Whereas if what we want is to discover the operation of the kidneys, the main element is used creatinine.

What is creatinine? What is it?

Creatinine is a residue of muscle mass and also of its own activity. That is, it consists of an organic compound that is the final result of the degradation of the creatine. Creatine is a component of the muscles (it is stored in muscles around 90%), which can be transformed into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), becoming a source of high energy for different and different cells of our body.

It consists, therefore, in a waste product of the metabolism -normal- of our muscles. In addition, it is common for our body to produce creatinine at a constant rate, hence its blood analysis helps to discover whether or not there may be some type of muscle or kidney problem.

Its production depends directly on the modification of muscle mass, hence many doctors consider that, in reality, their levels tend to vary very little, so the most common without any pathology is that their values ​​remain stable. Therefore, we must always bear in mind that the concentration of creatinine in the blood depends not only on the renal function but on the muscle mass of the person.

Hence, from a medical point of view, it is best to analyze and know the trend of creatinine levels over a certain period of time that only serve a single value, given that a level that increases with the passing of months or years of creatinine may be indicative of kidney damage, in the same way that a level that falls is an indication of an improvement in the function of the same.

Why is it analyzed in a blood test?

Given the the kidneys are responsible for filtering the creatinine by excreting it through the urine, its measurement becomes definitive in the simplest way of monitor if the kidneys are performing their function correctly.

That is, we are facing a simple test that becomes the most common indicator that informs the specialist about the renal function of the person. Hence, this value is always analyzed and studied in a routine blood test, both in its serum form and in urine.

The separation of creatinine can be calculated accurately using the concentration of creatinine in serum, or through a collection of urine less than 24 hours and analyzing variables such as sex, age, weight and race of person.

Creatinine levels

First of all we must bear in mind that the creatinine values They tend to vary slightly between different laboratories, since some laboratories usually analyze different samples or use different measurements. However, here are the average normal values:

  • Normal values ​​in adult men: between 0.7 and 1.3 mg / dl
  • Normal values ​​in adult women: between 0.5 to 1.2 mg / dl
  • Normal values ​​in children: between 0.2 to 1 mg / dl

In men, a high level of elevated creatinine is considered to be higher than 1.3 mg / dL, while in women it is higher than 1.2 mg / dL. Values ​​above 4 mg / dl are considered as an important renal failure. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesBlood test

Stages of Kidney Disease (March 2024)