A creatinine blood test measures the level of creatinine in the blood. Creatinine is a waste product that forms when creatine breaks down. Creatine is a substance found in muscle. Creatinine levels help determine how well your kidneys function. Your kidneys are responsible for eliminating creatinine from the body when you urinate. When creatinine levels increase, your kidney function may be impaired.
Blood creatinine level
The blood creatinine level shows how well your kidneys are working. A high creatinine level may mean your kidneys are not working properly. The amount of creatinine in the blood depends partly on the amount of muscle tissue you have. Men generally have higher creatinine levels than women.
Creatinine clearance test
A creatinine clearance test measures how well creatinine is removed from your blood by your kidneys. A creatinine clearance test gives better information than a blood creatinine test on how well your kidneys are working. A creatinine clearance test is done on both a blood sample and on a sample of urine collected over 24 hours (24-hour urine sample).
The levels of blood creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) can be used to find the BUN-to-creatinine ratio. A BUN-to-creatinine ratio can help your doctor check for problems, such as dehydration, that may cause abnormal BUN and creatinine levels.
What to Do About a Low Creatinine Clearance
If you have a low GFR or creatinine clearance, your doctor will design an action plan with you to address the problem.
The main causes of chronic kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes. If you have these conditions, the first step is to get them under control with improved diet, exercise, and medications. If these conditions are not present, further testing may be needed to identify the cause of kidney disease.
Periodically checking the GFR or creatinine clearance allows you and your doctor to follow any decline in kidney function over time. Your doctor may need to make changes in your medications to adjust for any decline in renal function.
Most people do not need dialysis until GFR and creatinine clearance fall very low. However, because kidney function naturally declines with age, it's important to take action early to preserve all the kidney function you can.
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