Creatinine - a waste product of muscle metabolism and a marker of kidney function and health.

Creatinine is a substance produced in the body when muscles work. It is a waste product that is normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. If the kidneys are not working properly, creatinine can build up in the blood and lead to health problems.

Measuring the creatinine level in the blood or urine gives information about how well the kidneys are working. A normal creatinine level for adults is between 0.6 and 1.2 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl) in the blood and between 500 and 2000 milligrams per day (mg/d) in the urine. The value can vary slightly depending on age, sex, muscle mass and diet.

An elevated creatinine level can indicate acute or chronic kidney damage, which can be caused by a variety of things such as infection, inflammation, diabetes, high blood pressure or medication. A low creatinine level usually has no pathological significance, but may be due to low muscle mass or high fluid intake.

To assess kidney function, the so-called creatinine clearance is often calculated in addition to the creatinine value. This indicates how much blood the kidneys can clear of creatinine per minute. The creatinine clearance is a more sensitive parameter than the creatinine value alone and can better detect early kidney damage.

Determining creatinine levels and creatinine clearance is important for diagnosing and treating kidney disease. Regular monitoring can help to monitor the course of the disease and avoid possible complications.

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