Creatinine
Alternate Names : Serum Creatinine, Serum Creatinine Level, Creatinine Level in the Blood
What do the test results mean?
The normal level of creatinine varies slightly based on age,
body size, and sex. The level also changes during
pregnancy.
However, the healthy range is usually between 0.5 and 1.4 milligrams per
deciliter (mg/dL).
A decreased value for this test is rarely a concern. It can
occur with decreased muscle mass, such as in elderly people.
Conditions such as muscular dystrophy,
which is an inherited defect in muscles, can cause a low value for this test.
Pregnancy
may also cause a low value.
A high value for this test can occur for many reasons. Some of these
reasons are described in the sections that follow.
Decreased blood flow to the kidneys
The blood flow to the kidneys can be decreased by the following
conditions or events.
severe dehydration
massive blood loss
congestive heart failure
blockage in the kidney arteries, called
renal artery stenosis
Kidney damage or failure
The kidneys can be damaged by a number of conditions, including:
high blood pressure
diabetes
an inherited condition called polycystic kidney disease
a high blood calcium level, called hypercalcemia
a cancer called multiple myeloma
autoimmune diseases,
which are conditions in which a person's immune system attacks his or her own
body
Other conditions can also cause an elevated value for this test:
blockage of urine flow, which commonly occurs with enlargement of the
prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia
taking certain medicines, such as captopril or non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs, which are called NSAIDs
The meaning of the results should be discussed with the doctor.
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