What is Creatinine level??_Written by Pharmguy

Always think I should do it, but one of the bothersome things to go to get it is the health checkup. After the health checkup, the result sheet you received is full of crazy moon languages, right?

 

This post is an easy-to-understand explanation of health checkup terms. Accurate information about Creatinine Level! The Pharmguy will sort it out.

Creatinine

Key Summary about Creatinine.

• Creatinine is a waste product produced by the muscles and excreted through the kidneys.
• The normal range of serum creatinine is 0.74-1.35 mg/dL for men and 0.59-1.04 mg/dL for women.
• 3 Commandments for Kidney Health! Eating a low-salt diet/ quit smoking/weight management! Do not forget.

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Creatinine? What it is?

Creatinine is a waste product produced by the muscles. It can be said that it is a kind of waste left over from the process of making muscles energy.

 

Creatinine is secreted into the blood, filtered by the kidneys, and excreted from the body in the urine.

Creatinine_1

If creatinine is not normally excreted, it can be interpreted as a problem with the kidneys. Therefore, it is an indicator that can be usefully used to evaluate the presence or absence of kidney disease and kidney function (Known as glomerular filtration rate = GFR).

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What a creatinine test can tell you

1. It can check for signs or symptoms of kidney disease. In particular, those suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure are at increased risk of kidney disease.
2. Evaluate whether kidney disease is being treated or is getting worse.
3. Monitor side effects of medications that can damage the kidneys or affect kidney function.
4. If you have a kidney transplant, evaluating whether the transplanted kidney is functioning normally.

Serum creatinine normal range
Males: 0.74 - 1.35 mg/dL
Females: 0.59 - 1.04 mg/dL

Creatinine_Normal Range

• The normal range of creatinine levels in the blood is approximately 0.7 to 1.4 mg/dL. There are some differences between institutions.
• Because creatinine is made in muscle, it is usually measured higher in men than in women.

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If the level of creatinine in the blood is high, let's take care my kidneys!

Because creatinine is a waste product, it must be properly filtered and excreted through the kidneys. However, if something wrong with my kidneys, creatinine may not be excreted well. Then the level of creatinine in the blood can be high.

 

It can be caused by kidney stones, kidney inflammation, kidney failure, or tubular necrosis due to drug misuse or abuse.

 

Conversely, if the creatinine level in the blood is lower than the normal range?

Creatinine is made in muscle. So, age-related muscle loss and very low protein intake can also cause lower than normal levels of creatinine in the blood.

 

However, clinically, the level of creatinine in the blood tends to remain constant even with age. This is because aging reduces kidney function and reduces the ability to filter out creatinine, but also decreases the amount of muscle that produces creatinine. _{[Ref. The chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly Popultion J Korean Med Assoc 2007, Ho Jun Chin. MD]}

 

Therefore, in the case of the elderly, in order to diagnose kidney disease, along with the blood creatinine level,

• Glomerular filtration rate (= GFR)
• Whether proteinuria or hematuria through urinalysis

are should be checked together.

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Kidney, be happy, don't be sick

If the creatinine level is high in the health checkup, it can be seen the red light is on for kidney health.

 

How to keep your kidneys healthy

1. Eat a low-salt diet. Excessive salt can increase the amount of fluid in our body (osmotic pressure phenomenon), which can put a strain on the kidneys.
2. Protein digests are eliminated only by the kidneys. Therefore, reducing protein intake can relieve the burden on the kidneys.
3. However, if you eat less protein, it can lead to muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies. Make sure you eat enough sources of calories other than protein.
4. Stop SMOKING! Smoking cessation is essential for patients with chronic kidney disease.
5. Must manage your weight with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m². Obesity increases the burden on the kidneys.