Laboratory tests are the easiest way to monitor your he alth, detect somatic pathology in a timely manner and restore your well-being. But in order to be more informed about survey questions, it is important to understand what the numbers on the results sheet mean.
In particular, it is useful for every person who is not indifferent to their own he alth to know what it is - a blood test for creatinine, in which cases it needs to be taken, which may be indicated by deviations from the norm.
Creatinine - what is it?
Creatinine is a substance that is produced into the blood by the liver during the breakdown of protein. Thus, it is the end product of the breakdown of proteins that enter the body with food.
To find the answer to the question of what it means - a blood test for creatinine, it is important to understand what has a direct impact on its amount in the blood. The amount of creatinine is regulated by the kidneys, which remove the excess amount of the substance along with the urine, ensuring the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. In the event that the kidneys, for various reasons, cannot cope withwork, the concentration of creatinine begins to rise, and the person's well-being worsens.
Creatinine norm
Normal creatinine depends on many factors: age, gender, nutrition and even muscle mass. Men tend to have higher creatinine levels on average than women, as do people who regularly get substantial exercise or eat high protein foods.
There are medical norms that define pathology or its absence in the body. With the normal functioning of the body, the analysis for creatinine shows the following values:
- Children under 1 year old: 18-35 µmol/L.
- Children under 14: 27-62 µmol/L.
- Women over 14: 53-97µmol/L.
- Men over 14: 62-115 µmol/L.
These values may vary slightly depending on the laboratory that conducts the study. But as a rule, these indicators are universal for most biochemical tests.
Elevated creatinine
In a situation where the analysis of creatinine shows values that differ from normal values, it is not always possible to assume the presence of pathology. Sometimes an increase in the concentration of creatinine in the blood is a natural reaction of the body to one or another external stimulus. As soon as the action of the provoking factor stops, the level of the indicator will automatically stabilize.
These factors include:
- dehydration;
- abundance of proteinfood in the diet;
- muscle damage.
How to understand whether the cause of the increase in creatinine levels is pathology or not? As a rule, the doctor cannot tell about the presence of a certain pathology from one analysis. Creatinine is given again, and if the increase is recorded again, the patient is assigned a detailed examination to identify the root cause of the violation.
In pathology, a significant deviation of the indicator from the norm is more often noted, for example, by 2-3 times.
Creatinine lowered
While considering the causes of changes in creatinine levels that are not signs of pathology, it is also worth considering situations when the analysis of creatinine shows low levels that are not signs of disease.
The main reason for the reduced rate is malnutrition. First of all, we are talking about fasting, for example, as part of weight loss. In this case, the body does not receive the required amount of protein, therefore, the production of creatinine by the liver is also reduced.
A similar situation occurs if a person follows a vegetarian or vegan diet, that is, refuses meat dishes in favor of plant foods. Thus, having found a reduced level of creatinine among the results of a blood test, the doctor will definitely find out from the patient the diet of his diet. In the event that the patient's menu may be the reason for the deviation of the indicator, he will be recommended to eat more protein foods and take the test again latersome time.
A creatinine test can show a reduced amount of a substance in the blood during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, as well as while taking corticosteroid hormones.
Creatinine and pathology
The most common pathology that is detected with increased blood creatinine is a decrease in the filtering ability of the kidneys. This happens with kidney failure: acute or chronic.
The danger of chronic renal failure is the difficulty of diagnosing pathology at any stage, except for the terminal one - incurable. Normally, creatinine is excreted in the urine, and a small concentration of the substance remains in the blood. But as the kidneys begin to lose the ability to concentrate and excrete urine from the body, the amount of creatinine in the body increases. This leads to intoxication of the body, therefore, when a blood test for urea and creatinine shows high values, a person experiences severe nausea, weakness, headache.
The level of the indicator may change under the influence of various negative external factors. For example, against the background of radiation sickness, which is a consequence of exposure to ionizing radiation. Rarely, creatinine is elevated in the analysis due to hyperthyroidism, a disease in which the thyroid gland produces an increased number of hormones.
In each individual case, the doctor considers not only the fact of changes in the level of creatinine in the blood, but alsoother indicators, as well as symptoms that the patient complains of.
When and who should be tested?
Urea and creatinine analysis is included in the list of mandatory laboratory tests that each person must take for preventive, prophylactic purposes at least once a year. Also, the reason for a visit to the doctor with subsequent blood donation is the symptoms of diseases that affect the concentration of creatinine in the blood:
- nausea;
- weakness;
- tremor;
- muscle pain;
- puffiness;
- change in body weight with a normal diet.
The clinical picture allows the doctor to prescribe a more accurate list of studies that will allow you to quickly and accurately make a diagnosis.
How to change the results of the study?
The norm of the analysis of creatinine in the blood is achieved only when the causes of its change are eliminated. So, elevated as a result of chronic renal failure is normalized with the help of glucocorticosteroid therapy, hemodialysis procedures or kidney transplant.
If the reason for the increase or decrease in creatinine is not a pathology, it is enough just to normalize the diet, the amount of fluid consumed and the level of physical activity.
In some cases, when the creatinine level is significantly different from the norm, for example, it exceeds it several times and has a direct impact on the patient's well-being, a hemodialysis procedure can be used that restores the compositionblood by passing it through a filter of a special apparatus.
Understanding what creatinine analysis means, every person interested in the quality of his life will certainly realize the importance of regular diagnostics to detect pathology at an early and, most likely, curable stage.
Preparing for the study
Laboratory blood test for creatinine and urea does not require prior preparation. A biochemical analysis is usually given on an empty stomach, while the last meal should be no later than 8 hours before the moment of blood sampling.
In order for the result of the study to be more reliable, it is not recommended to eat a large amount of protein food the day before and sit on a strict diet, as well as engage in exhausting physical activity.
Additional Research
After a laboratory study has shown a change in the level of creatinine, the doctor prescribes an additional study to eliminate the risk of an erroneous result. At this stage, he must explain to the patient the rules for taking the test, find out his history and lifestyle.
If, upon re-analysis, the result of the indicator that is outside the norm is confirmed, it is necessary to conduct an additional study that will show which organ malfunction affects the level of creatinine: kidneys, thyroid gland, pituitary gland.
For this, the following studies are being carried out (see table).
| Lab tests | Functional Research |
| Complete urinalysis | Ultrasound of the kidneys |
| Rehberg blood and urine tests | Thyroid ultrasound |
| Zimnitsky test | CT or MRI of the brain (pituitary) |
| Blood test for hormones TSH, T3, T4 | Renal x-ray with contrast |
| CBC | Excretory urography |
| Myelogram | Nephrobiopsy and thyroid biopsy |
The therapist identifies the likely causes of changes in the biochemical composition of the blood, and then refers the patient to a specialist: endocrinologist, hematologist or nephrologist.
Thus, every person who is attentive to their he alth should know why it is important to regularly take a blood test for creatinine, what it is, which indicators are normal and which indicate the likely presence of a pathological process.
