What are creatinine with kidney test in blood?
The kidneys maintain the creatinine with kidney test in blood in a normal range. Creatinine is a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. An elevated creatinine level signals impaired kidney function or kidney disease.
When the kidneys are damaged for any reason, creatinine levels in the blood rise due to the kidneys' poor ability to clear creatinine. Therefore, abnormally high creatinine levels indicate that the kidneys may be malfunctioning or failing. It is for this reason that a standard blood test checks the amount of creatinine in the blood.
By calculating the amount of creatinine that the kidneys remove from the body, a more accurate measurement of kidney function can be made. This is called creatinine clearance, and it includes the filtration rate of the kidneys (glomerular filtration rate, or GFR).
Creatinine clearance can be measured in two ways.
It can be calculated (estimated) by using a formula that uses the serum (blood) creatinine level, the patient's weight and age. The formula is 140 minus the patient's age in years multiplied by their weight in kilograms (women multiplied by 0.85), divided by 72 multiplied by the serum creatinine level in milligrams per deciliter.
Creatinine clearance can also be measured more directly by collecting a 24-hour urine sample followed by a blood sample. Creatinine levels in the urine and blood are determined and compared.
Normal creatinine clearance is 88-128 ml/min for healthy women and 97-137 ml/min for men (data are based on actuals and may vary from lab to lab).
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels are another indicator of kidney function. Urea is also a metabolic byproduct that can accumulate if kidney function is impaired. The ratio of BUN to creatinine usually provides more accurate information about kidney function and its possible underlying causes than creatinine levels alone.BUN also increases with dehydration.
Recently, elevated creatinine levels in infants have been associated with bacteremia, while elevated creatinine levels in adult men have been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Who has low or high creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
Creatinine levels may be higher than normal in some individuals:
- Creatinine in the blood of a young or middle-aged person who is muscular may be higher than the standard value for the general population.
- Older people who are dehydrated or infected may have higher creatinine levels
Creatinine levels may be lower than normal in some individuals, usually due to reduced muscle mass:
- Older people may have less creatinine in their blood than normal. Normal levels in infants are about 0.2 or more, depending on how well their muscles are developing.
- In people with malnutrition, severe weight loss, and long-term illness, muscle mass tends to decrease over time, so their creatinine levels may be lower than expected for their age.
How do I prepare for a creatinine with kidney test in blood?
However, it’s important to tell your doctor about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications you’re currently taking. Some drugs may increase your creatinine levels without causing kidney damage and interfere with your test results. If you take:
- cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB)
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin (Bayer) or ibuprofen (Advil, Midol)
- chemotherapy drugs
- cephalosporin antibiotics, such as cephalexin (Keflex) and cefuroxime (Ceftin)
What are normal creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
Normal blood creatinine levels vary by age, race, gender and body type.
Normal serum creatinine ranges are.
0.6-1.1 mg/dL for females and adolescents 16 years of age and older
0.8-1.3 mg/dL for males and adolescents 16 years of age and older
0.2 or more for infants, depending on muscle development
Serum creatinine ranges are lower in females because they have less muscle mass and therefore lower rates of creatinine formation and excretion.
Normal blood creatinine levels also vary by race. For non-Hispanic blacks, the mean blood creatinine level is 1.25 mg/dL in men and 1.01 mg/dL in women. in non-Hispanic whites, the mean blood creatinine level is 1.16 mg/dL in men and 0.97 mg/dL in women, while in Mexican Americans, it is 1.07 mg/dL in men and 0.86 mg/dL in women.
What are considered high and low creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
- A normal level for someone with only one kidney may be about 1.8 or 1.9.
- Creatinine levels of 2.0 or higher in infants and 5.0 or higher in adults may indicate severe renal impairment.
- The need for the dialysis machine to remove waste products from the blood is based on several considerations, including BUN, creatinine level, potassium level, and the amount of fluid retained by the patient.
- Low creatinine levels indicate malnutrition, severe weight loss, long-term illness and low muscle mass, such as in the elderly and infants
What are the symptoms associated with high creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
Symptoms of kidney dysfunction (renal insufficiency) vary widely. They are usually not associated with creatinine levels in the blood.
In some people, severe kidney disease and elevated creatinine may be found incidentally in routine blood tests without any symptoms.
In others, depending on the cause of the problem, different symptoms of kidney failure may occur, including:
- Dehydration
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite.
- Insomnia.
- Excessive urination or lower than normal urination
- Edema
- Shortness of breath
- Many other non-specific symptoms
What causes high and low creatinine with kidney test in blood?
Any condition that impairs kidney function has the potential to raise creatinine levels in the blood. It is important to recognize whether the process leading to renal dysfunction (renal failure, azotemia) is long-term or recent. Recent elevations may be more easily treated and reversed.
Anything that impairs kidney function can raise blood creatinine levels.
- Common causes of kidney damage or disease include:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Diabetes
- Kidney infections
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Certain medications
- Urinary tract obstruction (kidney stones, bladder problems, enlarged prostate)
- High intake of meat in the diet
- Rhabdomyolysis (abnormal muscle breakdown)
- Causes of low creatinine include low muscle mass, malnutrition, and liver disease.
What is the treatment for high and low creatinine with kidney test in blood?
If high creatinine levels are caused by kidney disease, treatment recommendations include:
- Eating a healthy, low-fat and low-salt diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Control your blood pressure.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar.
- Do not smoke.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- If creatinine levels are elevated due to dehydration, you will need to rehydrate through oral fluids or intravenously.
- It may be necessary to change or stop the medication that is causing the high creatinine level. Consult your physician before changing or stopping any medications.
Low creatinine levels usually do not require treatment other than an attempt to increase general muscle mass.
What is the prognosis for high and low creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
The prediction of a high creatinine level depends on the underlying cause.
If a high creatinine level is caused by kidney disease, it depends on the stage of the disease. Kidney disease usually progresses slowly and the early stages can usually be managed with a healthy diet, exercise and appropriate medications. In the later stages, dialysis or even a kidney transplant may be required.
If creatinine levels are elevated due to dehydration, then hydration can often resolve the problem with no lasting effects.
Low creatinine levels are not usually considered a serious medical problem.
How can I prevent high and low creatinine with kidney test in blood levels?
The way to prevent high creatinine levels is to treat the underlying cause.
Lifestyle changes to prevent kidney disease are the same steps taken to treat the early stages of kidney disease.
- Consume a healthy, low-fat and low-salt diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Keep your blood pressure normal.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar.
- Don't smoke.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- To prevent low creatinine levels, regular weight-bearing exercise can maintain or increase muscle mass.
References:
1. Creatinine Blood Test: Purpose, Preparation, and Procedure
2. Creatinine Blood Test (Normal, Low, High Levels) - MedicineNet
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