Creatinine Levels in Urine

Did you conduct a urine test recently and find out that the creatinine levels in urine did not fall in the normal range? The tests carried out to find creatinine levels are known as creatinine clearance tests. Do you hence wonder, what is creatinine exactly?

We all are aware, that our bodies work all the time to force the waste material and toxins out of the body. One such waste material is creatinine, which is flushed out of the body through urine. Before we find out more about the urine creatinine levels, let's learn what creatinine is.

The word 'creatinine' comes from the Greek word 'kreas', which means flesh. Creatinine is a substance, which is formed after breakdown of a product called creatine. It is a chemical waste molecule generated during muscle metabolism.

In simpler words, creatinine is formed, when food is changed to energy, through metabolism. About 2% of creatine in the body is converted into creatinine everyday. It is formed in the body at a steady rate and is often not affected by diet or normal physical activities. It makes its way into the kidney through the bloodstream.

Creatinine is flushed out of the body through the kidneys into the urine. There is a little or no reabsorption of creatinine in the body. In case the kidneys are not functioning properly, due to a kidney infection or due to kidney diseases the levels of creatinine in blood increase.

To find the creatinine level in urine and blood, creatinine clearance tests are used. These tests find out the exact working of the kidneys by comparing the level of creatinine in urine with that of creatinine in blood.

The creatinine clearance value is found from the amounts of creatinine in the urine and blood and from the amount of urine, which is passed in the last 24 hours. When the kidneys are not working to their optimum best, it causes low creatinine levels, but high creatinine levels in blood are caused, because creatinine is not flushed out of the body.

The normal creatinine clearance value is 90 to 140 milliliters per minute (mL/min) or 1.78 to 2.32 milliliters per second (mL/sec) for men. However, the normal levels for women are 87 to 107 milliliters per minute or 1.45 to 1.78 milliliters per second.

It is important to note, that the normal values of creatinine go down with age. The values normally go down by 6.5 milliliters per minute for every 10 years, after the age of 20.

High creatinine levels in urine are often caused due to strenuous exercise, muscle injury, more so - crushing injuries, burns, pregnancy, hypothyroidism or carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a common indicator of serious damage to the kidney or presence of some disease.

If the levels are on the higher side, the most common symptoms include dehydration, fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion or other non specific symptoms as well.

Low creatinine levels also indicate damage to the kidney. The damage can be caused due to a life-threatening infection, shock, cancer, low flow of blood to the kidneys or urinary tract blockage. There are products in the market, which claim to help to increase the creatinine levels in urine.

However, it is not recommended to opt for those products, for the side effects they can have on the body. If you want to raise creatinine levels the natural way, before you take the tests, it is recommended you avoid alcoholic beverages as they interfere with the ability of the kidneys to filter creatinine from the blood.

You can opt for vigorous exercises, which will help in increasing muscle mass, which in turn will help to increase creatinine levels.

In case you notice that the creatinine levels are not within the normal range, it is recommended that you talk to your health care professional regarding the same, to avoid any further complications. At the same time, eating a healthy and proper diet will ensure health of the kidneys.