Risks of High Creatinine Level

Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule in the blood which passes through the kidneys and is filtered and eliminated through urine in right condition.  Creatinine is generated from muscle metabolism. Women mostly have lower creatinine as  compared to men , since women have less muscle tissue. Because there is constant muscle mass in the body from day to day, the production of creatinine normally remains unchanged on a daily basis. The kidneys are responsible in maintaining the blood creatinine in a normal range.  Thus, creatinine  may be regarded as a reliable indicator of kidney function. High creatinine level indicates impaired kidney function or kidney disease. .If kidneys are not working properly, an increased level of creatinine may accumulate in the blood.

Symptoms of high creatinine

Symptoms of increased levels of creatinine in the blood are similar to the kidney failure symptoms.  Some patients with high creatinine may have the following symptoms:

*Shortness of breath

*Confusion

*Dehydration

*Weakness or fatigue

Normal Blood Creatinine Levels

Normal range of creatinine in the blood is approximately 0.6 to 1.2 mg per dL in adult males and 0.5 to 1.1 milligrams per decilitre as found in adult females. Middle-aged adults or muscular young may have more creatinine in their blood than the general population.  On the other hand, elderly persons may have less creatinine in their blood as compared to the norm. In people suffering from malnutrition, severe loss in weight, and long term illnesses, the muscle mass tends to reduce over time and, hence, their creatinine level may be lower than that expected for their age

A person having only one kidney may have a normal level of 1.8 or 1.9mg per dL. Creatinine levels that exceed  2.0  in babies and 10.0 or in adults may imply severe kidney impairment and a need is created for a dialysis machine to remove wastes materials from the blood.

Causes of High Creatinine.

Usually, creatinine levels in the blood remain the same from day to day because the muscle mass stays the same .The main causes of having high creatinine may include:

• Eating a lot of meat
• Taking certain medicines
• Building the muscles through weight training

Medicines and excess consumption of meat can only cause a temporary increasing in creatinine level. The creatinine level will regain its normal level if the influencing factors are removed. High creatinine because of large muscle mass is not a health concern.

                                            
Apart from these high creatinine levels may also occur due to

1. Dehydration or lack of water caused due to high fever and sweating can cause blood concentration and less blood flow in the kidneys.  Thus, creatinine will increase.
2. Over-tiredness or lack of rest can cause increase in creatinine level.
3. Urine abnormalities can also be accompanied by high creatinine.
4. Intake of drugs having renal toxicity can cause high creatinine which even can be irreversible.
5. If renal dysfunction patients suffer from infections such as pneumonia, cold, urinary tract infections or intestinal infection can increase creatinine level in short time.
6. Badly controlled high blood pressure may also cause high creatinine.
7. Kidney disease patients suffering from recurrent illness conditions may have high creatinine levels