What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a byproduct of a chemical compound called creatine, which helps muscles get the energy that they need. As a waste product, creatinine is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and removed from the body in urine.
What is a Creatinine test used for?
A creatinine test measures the amount of this chemical in either the blood or urine. Creatinine levels can provide an indication of how well the kidneys are working. It's often ordered along with another kidney test called blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). A CMP is a group of tests that provide information about different organs and systems in the body. A CMP is frequently included in a routine checkup. Creatinine can also be measured with a urine test.
…more on kidneys:
Each kidney has millions of small blood-filtering units called nephrons. The nephrons constantly filter blood through a very tiny cluster of blood vessels known as glomeruli. These structures filter waste products, excess water, and other impurities out of the blood. The toxins are stored in the bladder and then removed during urination. Creatinine is one of the substances that your kidneys normally eliminate from the body.
What is the purpose of a creatinine test?
The primary use of a creatinine test is to better understand how well the kidneys are working. A measurement of creatinine can be employed for screening, diagnosis, and/or monitoring of kidney problems.
Screening is trying to identify health problems before there are any signs or symptoms. If you are at higher risk of kidney problems, a creatinine test may be used to try to detect a problem early.
Diagnosis involves testing to determine the underlying cause after signs and/or symptoms have developed. Creatinine may be measured to help diagnose symptoms that can be associated with kidney problems, such as swelling in the feet, urinary changes, loss of appetite, and fatigue. A measurement of creatinine may also be included in a panel of tests for more general symptoms or when evaluating you in the emergency room.
Monitoring is how doctors track your condition over time. If you have kidney disease, a creatinine test can explain how the disease may progress. Tests of kidney function can also be used to watch for potential side effects when you have prescribed medications that can affect the kidneys.
In many cases, screening, diagnosis, and monitoring kidney problems involve more than just a creatinine measurement. For example, creatinine may be tested to calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which assesses how effectively the kidneys filter the blood.
Why do you need a creatinine test?
You may need this test if you have symptoms of kidney disease.
These include:
- Fatigue and trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Puffiness around the eyes / swelling in the face, wrists, feet/ankles, or abdomen
- Swelling in your feet and/or ankles
- Decreased appetite
- Frequent and painful urination
- Urine that is foamy or bloody
- Lower back pain near the kidneys
- High blood pressure
- Nausea/vomiting
You may also need this test if you have certain risk factors for kidney disease.
You may be at higher risk for kidney disease if you have:
- Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- A family history of kidney disease
Kidney problems can be related to different diseases or conditions, including:
- Glomerulonephritis, which is an inflammation of the glomeruli due to damage
- Pyelonephritis, which is a bacterial infection of the kidneys
- Prostate disease, such as an enlarged prostate
- Blockage of the urinary tract, which may be due to kidney stones
- Decreased blood flow to the kidneys, which may be caused by congestive heart failure, diabetes, or dehydration
- The death of kidney cells as a result of drug abuse
- Streptococcal infections, such as poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
- Aminoglycoside medications, such as gentamicin (Garamycin, Gentasol), can also cause kidney damage in some people. If you’re taking this type of medication, your doctor may order regular creatinine blood tests to make sure your kidneys remain healthy.
What are normal Creatinine results:
Creatinine tests are generally used to assess kidney function. Under normal circumstances, creatinine levels are stable, reflecting typical muscle activity and the filtering and removal of creatinine from the bloodstream.
A normal result is 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL (61.9 to 114.9 µmol/L) for men and 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL (53 to 97.2 µmol/L) for women.
Why are female results often lower than male results?
Women often have a lower creatinine level than men. This is because women often have less muscle mass than men. Creatinine level varies based on a person's size and muscle mass.
Note on reference ranges:
The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results. There is no single reference range for all creatinine tests or for all people. Measurements can vary between laboratories, so it is important to look carefully at your test report to see the listed reference range for the lab that conducted your test. Creatinine’s reference range also depends on whether it is measured in the blood or urine.
A normal creatinine level does not guarantee kidney health. Moderate kidney impairment may not cause creatinine to rise to abnormal levels, so creatinine tests may not identify some cases of early kidney disease.
Additional notes:
When creatinine is measured in panel tests, it may be interpreted in conjunction with other test findings. For example, the amount of creatinine relative to blood urea nitrogen (BUN), another waste product, may provide useful information about the cause of kidney issues.
A number of individual factors, such as age, diet, and muscle mass, can affect creatinine levels, so it is important to remember your test should be interpreted with the help of your doctor in the context of your specific situation. This interpretation will also depend on why the test was ordered and whether you have any symptoms. Sometimes a doctor may prefer using a different test (such as Cystatin C) to assess a particular patient’s kidney function.
References:
Hinkle J, Cheever K. Brunner & Suddarth's Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 2nd Ed, Kindle. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; c2014. Creatinine, Serum; p. 198-199.
Kids Health from Nemours: The Nemours Foundation; c1995–2019. Urine Test: Creatinine; https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/test-creatinine.html
Lab Tests Online - Creatinine https://labtestsonline.org/tests/creatinine
Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/creatinine-test/about/pac-20384646
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/blood-tests
National Kidney Foundation https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/what-creatinine
UF Health: University of Florida Health https://ufhealth.org/creatinine-blood-test
University of Rochester Medical Center https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=creatinine_serum
UW Health https://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/medicaltest/creatinine-and-creatinine-clearance/hw4322.html#hw4342
A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Basic Metabolic Panel. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003462.htm
A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Creatinine Blood Test. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003475.htm
American Board of Internal Medicine. ABIM Laboratory Test Reference Ranges. https://www.abim.org/Media/bfijryql/laboratory-reference-ranges.pdf
Gounden V, Bhatt H, Jialal I. Renal Function Tests. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507821/
Horowitz GL. Creatinine. In: Staros EB, ed. Medscape. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2054342-overview
Inker LA, Perrone RD. Assessment of Kidney Function. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/assessment-of-kidney-function
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/professionals/clinical-tools-patient-management/kidney-disease/laboratory-evaluation/glomerular-filtration-rate/estimating
Obrador GT. Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease. In: Curhan GC, Tonelli M, eds. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/epidemiology-of-chronic-kidney-disease
Shahbaz H, Gupta M. Creatinine Clearance. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544228/
Keeping track of your medical data and laboratory results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Keeping track of your medical data and lab results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Save 10% off any plan with promo-code:
HEALTH10
When blood creatinine levels rise to abnormal levels, it may be an indication that the kidneys are not properly filtering the blood. The creatinine level may be used to calculate your eGFR, which assesses kidney filtration function. Serum creatinine increases with decreases in GFR (acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease).
Elevated creatinine can also be tied to dehydration, diseases that cause muscle problems, and some complications during pregnancy.
In general, high levels of creatinine in blood and low levels in urine indicate kidney disease or another condition that affects kidney function.
These include:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bacterial infection of the kidneys
- Blocked urinary tract
- Heart failure
- Complications of diabetes
But abnormal results don't always mean kidney disease. The following conditions can temporarily raise creatinine levels:
- Pregnancy
- Intense exercise
- A diet high in red meat
- Certain medicines. Some medicines have side effects that raise creatinine levels.
Sign up
Sign up now and create your account. Use code HEALTH10 for a 10% discount on any plan. Don't miss out!
Organize
Bring all results from any laboratories to your account. You can enter your tests yourself, or we'll be happy to organize your files—whether in PDF, JPEG, CSV, or even screenshots.
Learn and improve
Once your information is stored in your account, dive into a wealth of insights about your results. If you have any more questions, we are here to answer them.
Decreased blood creatinine levels may indicate lower muscle mass, which can be caused by diseases like muscular dystrophy or by aging. A diet very low in protein can have the same effect, and in rare cases low creatinine levels may be due to severe liver disease.
It is worth noting that creatinine blood levels are generally slightly lower during pregnancy.
Theoretically, low values may also reflect increased glomerular filtration rates (GFRs).
If creatinine levels are lower than expected, it may be a sign of malnutrition or conditions that provoke the loss of muscle mass.
Guiding our user for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15/month
for personal lab results
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our user for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15/month
for personal lab results
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 per month
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
Unlock Your Health Journey with Healthmatters.io! Ever wished for a one-stop digital health haven for all your lab tests? Look no further! Healthmatters.io is your personalized health dashboard, bringing together test reports from any lab. Say goodbye to scattered results—organize and centralize your lab data effortlessly. Dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data.
Join the community of thousands who've transformed the way they understand their lab results. Experience the joy of having all your lab data neatly organized, regardless of where or when the tests were done.
For our professional users, Healthmatters.io is a game-changer. Revel in the intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history. It's not just a dashboard; it's your gateway to a smarter, more informed health journey!
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we do talk about popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too. It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters. We can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
Still on the hunt for a specific biomarker? Just tell us, and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account!
There are two ways to add your test reports to your healthmatters.io account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you. We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.
For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.
Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.
You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Unlocking the insights from your lab tests has never been this intuitive! We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into a treasure trove of testing data.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewGet a quick grasp of your test reports in minutes! Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Experience the power of clear, organized data visualization with Healthmatters.io — your key to understanding and taking charge of your health journey!
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional or business account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
Alanine-aminotransferase (ALT, SGPT), Albumin, Serum, Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate-aminotransferase (AST, SGOT), Bilirubin Total, Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), BUN/Creatinine Ratio, Calcium, Serum, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), CHLORIDE, RANDOM URINE, Chloride, Serum, CHLORIDE/CREAT RATIO, Creatinine, Serum, eGFR - Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (African Am), eGFR - Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (Non-African Am), eGFR / Cystatin C, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), Globulin, Serum (aka Globulin, Total), Glucose, Glucose Non-Fasting, Intestinal Isoenzymes (Alkaline Phosphatase), POTASSIUM, RANDOM URINE, Potassium, Serum (Kalium), POTASSIUM/CREAT RATIO, SODIUM, RANDOM URINE, Sodium, Serum (Natrium), SODIUM/CREAT RATIO, Total Protein, Serum, Urea
