Creatinine is a chemical waste product of muscle metabolism used during contraction. Creatinine is produced by creatine, which is an important molecule in muscles that is responsible for producing energy.
Before being removed from the body through urine, creatine must first be filtered by the kidneys. However, the kidneys are not always in prime condition to perform their duties.
If this happens, then over time the level of creatinine can increase and accumulate in the blood which triggers the appearance of various problems in the body.
That's why a creatinine test is needed to ensure the amount of creatinine in the blood, as well as show how well the kidneys work, especially the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in filtering out waste substances in the body.
This GFR assessment can be used as an indicator in measuring kidney function as a whole.
Monitoring creatinine levels through tests, whether using blood or urine samples, is also useful as an important yardstick for diagnosing chronic kidney disease or other kidney disorders.
Because not everyone shows signs and symptoms of kidney disease.
Creatinine test measurement can be said to be a reflection of the body's metabolic process in general. Since the body's muscle mass tends to be the same every day, the creatinine level is also relatively the same and does not change.
Reported from the medicin.net site, the range of normal creatinine levels for adult men is around 0.6-1.2 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL), while 0.5-1.1 mg/dL for adult women.
Everyone has different levels of creatinine, depending on their age and muscle mass. Total creatinine in men is generally higher than women.If the creatinine test result is high, it does not always mean that kidney function is disturbed. The reason is that there are several conditions that can temporarily increase the amount of creatinine in the body.
For example, when we are dehydrated, our blood volume is low, we eat too much meat protein, and we are routinely taking certain types of medicine.
However, if the high level of creatinine lasts for a long time until it reaches 5 mg/dL or more, it means that something is wrong with the kidney organ.
A severe increase in creatinine levels in the blood is triggered by the appearance of kidney problems. Chronic kidney disease will make it difficult for the kidneys to filter creatinine.
In addition, swelling of the kidneys or called hydronephrosis, which causes the kidneys to fail to drain urine to the bladder, can also cause high creatinine levels.
Kidney swelling usually occurs as a result of urinary tract blockage such as an enlarged prostate or kidney stones. Finally, kidney function is disrupted and causes urine to flow back into the kidney.
Severe dehydration can also be one of the risk factors for kidney problems, which will affect the body's creatinine levels.
In addition, sports that are too hard for a long time will trigger excess energy production in the muscles. Indirectly, then will increase muscle mass and the amount of creatinine. Creatinine levels will return to normal within a few hours after exercising.
Keep in mind, damaged kidney function is not a trivial problem. It is important to always control things that can further damage the kidneys.
Proper treatment can at least prevent further kidney damage. One of them is keeping the creatinine level at a normal level.