Your creatinine level is measured with a blood test. A creatinine test is included on a basic metabolic panel and part of the routine blood work that is usually done at your regular physical and during hospital admission.
Healthy creatinine levels typically fall within these ranges:
- 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL for men
- 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL for women
By these standards, creatinine levels above 1.3 mg/dL for men and 1.1 mg/dL for women are considered high.
But Dr. Zuquello says it’s not that simple, since these standard ranges don’t necessarily apply to everyone. What’s normal for a creatinine level depends on body size, muscle mass, sex, age, and hydration status. “While a creatinine level of 2 mg/dL can translate into normal kidney function for a highly muscular, tall athlete, the same level can also signify severe kidney disease in an elderly, frail, bedbound person with low muscle mass,” he says.
Similarly, someone who eats lots of meat or fish (both sources of creatine) or takes creatine supplements regularly may have slightly elevated levels of creatinine due to increased creatine breakdown, which is normal and not an indication of poor kidney function, Zuquello says.
Because the results of a creatinine test are not always easy to interpret, clinicians may refer to other kidney function tests, such as your cystatin C level. Combining your kidney test results with your age and sex provides your doctor with your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a more comprehensive measure of kidney function. For most adults, an eGFR below 90 indicates some measure of chronic kidney disease.
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