Creatinine is the end product of nitrogen metabolism. This indicator allows you to track the function of the kidneys and muscles of our entire body. By the level of this product (for this you need a blood test for creatinine), you can judge the excretory function of the kidneys and the state of muscle tissue. It is formed in the muscles, then it is excreted directly into the blood and excreted from our body by the kidneys along with urine.
The simplest method for detecting many diseases is a blood test. Creatinine in women (its level) is slightly lower than in men (its amount ranges from 45.5-81.3 μmol / l, in men - 61.3-105.2 μmol / l). Therefore, the indicators will be different depending on gender. Creatinine is increased in men because their muscle mass is greater (and in children it generally makes up 26.0–61.5 μmol / L).
Causes (main) increase in creatinine:
- Normally, creatinine is increased in many athletes (a large amount of muscle mass), in those people who eat a large amount of meat food, they take medications ("Ibuprofen", "Tetracycline", "Cefazolin").
- Acute renal failure. There are many causes of acute renal failure. The most common: shock conditions, heavy blood loss, poisoning with nephrotoxic substances, acute kidney disease, mushroom poisoning, bilateral kidney injury. The main symptoms of acute renal failure are anuria (lack of urination), nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, the main symptoms of the disease, which led to acute renal failure.
- Creatinine is also increased in the destruction of a large mass of muscle fibers (for example, with prolonged crushing syndrome). During damage to our muscles, a large amount of creatine is released, which enters the systemic circulation, and the kidneys do not have time to quickly remove it from our body.
- With hyperthyroidism, creatinine is also increased. The pathogenesis is based on the increased breakdown of muscle fibers under the influence of an excess of thyroid hormones, and increased muscle autolysis leads to an increase in creatinine levels.
When detecting increased creatinine in the blood, first of all, it is necessary to exclude various kidney diseases. To do this, a number of tests and functional tests are performed. An important breakdown that makes it possible to determine renal function is the clearance of endogenous creatinine (Reberg test). It is this test that is a more effective method for determining the functional state of the kidneys in comparison with a simple measurement of blood creatinine.
In the blood, creatinine levels begin to increase with the defeat of more than 50% of nephrons, and clearance changes long before the increase in blood creatinine.
Thus, it is thanks to this test that you can diagnose this disease even at the preclinical stage and win valuable time for successful treatment.
It is possible to lower the level of blood creatinine only by eliminating the cause of its increase, since this increased rate is only a symptom of the disease. Some reduction can be achieved with a protein-free diet.