One of the most important indicators in a laboratory blood test is creatinine. What is creatinine? This is the end product of protein breakdown, which is actively involved in the energy processes of muscle and other tissues of the body.
General information
Synthesis of creatinine occurs in the liver, from which it enters the circulatory system, then to the kidneys and is excreted along with urine. In their normal functioning, it should not accumulate in the body.
The norm of creatinine in the blood is different in men, women and children, since the amount of this substance depends on the muscle mass of a person's body, age, gender. Under the influence of pathological and physiological factors, its concentration changes, the increase of which is a signal of malfunctions in the body.
Signs of increased natural metabolite
What is creatinine? It is a derivative of creatine, necessary for the reproduction of energy in the muscles. Symptoms indicating the need for a blood test:
- fatigue;
- general persistent weakness;
- leg swelling;
- pale skin;
- muscle pain;
- reducing the amount of urine produced.
Pathologies in which creatinine is higher than normal
Elevated blood creatinine - what is it? This figure increases with uncontrolled sports. And also when performing physical exercises that contribute to muscle building, high consumption of protein products and taking certain medications (antibiotics, cephalosporins). In addition, the substance rises due to pathologies associated with the metabolism in the body:
- radiation sickness;
- dehydration;
- various diseases of the endocrine system;
- kidney failure;
- mechanical damage to muscle tissue or damage associated with surgical interventions.
One can speak about ill he alth only in cases of repeated excess of creatinine in the blood from the norm.
Diseases that doctors diagnose based on the results of a biochemical analysis:
- Oncology. Metastases and malignant neoplasms destroy muscle tissue. There are forms of cancer in which there are serious changes in the liver and kidneys, which inevitably leads to an increase in creatinine.
- Injuries to muscle tissue. From damaged muscles with extensive lesions, a natural metabolite is released. This figure is back to normal.when healing.
- Disorders associated with the endocrine system. Excess production of hormonal substances destroys muscle tissue, and as a result, creatinine rises. The danger lies in the fact that the disease is asymptomatic for a long time.
- Impaired kidney function. With certain pathologies, the organ does not cope with its function, and harmful substances remain in the blood, and are not excreted with urine. At critical values, the doctor prescribes a dialysis procedure to the patient.
- Heart failure. The heart muscle cells are destroyed and release creatinine, and as a result, it increases in the bloodstream.
- Neprectomy. When one kidney is removed, the second takes over the entire load, and therefore the performance can be increased.
Physiological causes of high natural metabolite levels
The reasons for the increase in creatinine in some situations are not a pathology. These are conditions in which lean body mass increases:
- Reinforced sports. Its amount may be at or above the highest acceptable limit.
- When changing lifestyle to a more active and mobile one.
- When taking certain medications: tetracycline antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and others. As a result of biochemical reactions, creatinine is formed and enters the bloodstream.
- Eating a large amount of meat also contributes to the excessive intake of this substance in the blood.
Clearance
What is creatinine? This is the substance thatproduced as a result of biochemical reactions in muscle tissue.
In order to identify the cause of its increase, the glomerular filtration rate is calculated using a special formula that takes into account the age and weight of a person. This is how the creatinine clearance is calculated. If it is low, this is due to the presence of pathology, namely renal failure.
Recommended diet
Slight excess of creatinine content from the permissible norm can be corrected by the diet:
- Drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Dehydration increases this indicator in the blood. In addition, the lack of fluid in the body leads to a decrease in the amount of urine excreted, which also increases this substance. On the other hand, excess water negatively affects the work of the kidneys, they can not cope. Excessive fluid intake can cause an increase in blood pressure, which increases the load on the kidneys. The correct drinking regimen will help your doctor adjust.
- Amount of protein consumed should not exceed 250 grams per day.
- Fatty foods of animal origin should be avoided. Give preference to vegetable proteins.
- S alt restriction. The average amount per day should not exceed three grams, since a large content of it in food retains fluid in the body, increases blood pressure and, as a result, increases the concentration of the natural metabolite.
- Products withhigh phosphorus also negatively affect this indicator and impede the work of the kidneys. Recommended limit intake: zucchini, pumpkin, cheese, nuts, soy and low-fat dairy products.
- Minimize your potassium intake. The trace element accumulates in the body, and unhe althy kidneys cannot cope with its excretion in the required quantities.
Ways to reduce creatinine
- In addition to diet, it is necessary to reduce physical activity. Physical education contributes to the faster conversion of food that has entered the body into energy. As a result, more creatinine is formed and its concentration in the blood increases. However, moderate exercise is essential for he alth. In this case, it is important to find a balance. For example, instead of playing basketball, do yoga or walk.
- Adequate sleep for at least 8 hours, of course, has a positive effect on kidney function. If a person does not get enough sleep all the time, then the body experiences stress, which provokes more active muscle work with or without normal exercise. This condition, in turn, affects the work of the kidneys, which begin to filter this product not well enough.
- Monitoring blood pressure values and taking regular medication if necessary.
- In the case of existing diabetes, constant drug therapy is necessary, since this disease is one of the causes of kidney pathology, and, accordingly, an increased level of creatinine.
- If necessary, the attending physician prescribes medications orbiologically active supplements that help normalize the concentration of creatinine in the blood.
- Laser therapy improves kidney function, and they more intensively filter and remove waste products.
- Massage sessions relieve stress, improve blood circulation, relax the entire body and normalize sleep.
Reasons for low natural metabolite concentration
Reduced blood creatinine - what is it? There are conditions in which the level of this substance decreases:
- fasting for a long time;
- vegetarianism;
- insufficient protein intake;
- muscle atrophy resulting from an immobile or sedentary lifestyle;
- taking hormonal drugs: corticosteroids.
In certain life periods, the female half of the population has a physiological decrease in creatinine concentration: in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. By the third, the indicator normalizes.
How is high creatinine treated?
Carry out activities aimed at eliminating the cause. The patient is injected intravenously with drugs - sorbents and diuretics, which increase diuresis and help the kidneys remove this substance. Such manipulations are effective under the condition of the normal functioning of the urinary system and the entry of exogenous or endogenous creatinine into the blood. In renal failure, a hemodialysis procedure is prescribed. In this case, the blood is purified using a special device "artificial kidney" in stationaryconditions. Carry out this procedure three times a week.
Traditional medicine also offers several ways to reduce creatinine. The use of medicinal herbs is possible under the condition of normal kidney function. Teas are brewed from herbs that have a diuretic effect: sage leaves and nettles; from dandelion roots. Daily intake of drinks activates the kidneys and stimulates increased excretion of urine, and, accordingly, creatinine. Before starting to reduce it, you should consult a doctor to determine the tactics of treatment.
Alternative Methods
The end product of muscle metabolism is what creatinine is. You can try to reduce it using alternative methods. Osmotherapy is a natural therapy that uses Chinese-made preparations, selected individually for each patient. Their application is possible both externally and internally, using a special device - an osmoscope. This method belongs to Chinese traditional medicine. Using it, you can cope with minor pathological processes in the kidneys.
Therapeutic baths are also part of this way to reduce the natural metabolite concentration. The action of baths is as follows. Warm water improves blood circulation, warms the patient's body and provocatively affects the sweat glands, the active work of which contributes to increased sweating. Together with it, creatinine and other toxic substances are released.substances from the body.
Preparation for urine creatinine test
Three days before the study should be excluded: coffee, carbonated and alcohol-containing drinks. In food, give preference to lean foods. In the case of taking hormonal drugs, you should inform the doctor about this in advance, as the results may be distorted.
For analysis, take morning urine, before meals. To diagnose kidney diseases in a single portion of urine, the protein-creatinine ratio is also determined.
What to warn the doctor about?
For the reliability of the results of the analysis, before taking them, you must provide the doctor with the following information:
- about taking medicines;
- about the presence of diseases;
- about taking alcoholic beverages;
- about eating fatty foods on the day of the study.
Pathological conditions that are diagnosed based on the results of the analysis
Reasons for upward deviation of this indicator from the norm:
- Renal failure. Regardless of the stage of this pathology, the body cannot cope with the withdrawal of creatinine, and it accumulates in the body.
- Hyperthyroidism. A disease caused by dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Excessive production of hormones containing iodine introduces an imbalance in metabolic processes, and thereby contributes to the rapid decomposition of carboxylic acid, as a result, the volume of creatinine increases.
- Heart failure. Thispathology provokes a violation of the normal function of the kidneys, which leads to a decrease in the excretion of urine, and, accordingly, the products of protein breakdown.
- Cancer pathology affecting muscles.
- Major muscle injury.
Causes of hypocreatinemia
Deviation of creatinine in the urine from the norm in the direction of decrease is quite rare. The reason lies in the violation of the metabolic processes of proteins or malfunctions in the functioning of the muscular system. In these cases, the work of the kidneys is not disturbed. The strongest depletion of the body leads to the fact that creatinine from muscle tissue is spent on replenishing the energy reserves of the body.
Reason for low concentration:
- cachexia due to starvation or chronic disease;
- vegetarianism;
- malnutrition combined with increased physical activity and, as a result, a sharp decrease in body weight;
- dystrophy;
- atrophy;
- taking glucocorticoids;
- pregnancy.
Thus, the main problem of hypocreatinemia lies in the depletion of the body. What does creatinine do? It is involved in energy metabolism, therefore, in order to restore the indicator to normal, it is necessary to eliminate the immediate cause.
The concentration of this substance in the blood at a certain acceptable level is maintained due to the normal functioning of the kidneys. What does a biochemical blood test for creatinine show? Fluctuations in the indicator in one direction or another indicate violations inkidney function.
