High creatinine consequences. Why do we need creatinine and what is the danger of changes in blood levels

Creatinine is a by-product of the breakdown of a substance called creatine, which converts food into energy. Creatinine is “born” in the muscles, and then enters the bloodstream. He is an active participant in energy metabolism in various human tissues.

In its excretion (together with urine) from the body, the kidneys play an important role. This is why plasma creatinine levels can tell a lot about the kidney system. He will talk about a number of diseases of the muscles, as well as the urinary system.

Symptoms of elevated creatinine

An increase in creatinine concentration is by no means a rare phenomenon. It's called hypercreatinemia. Directly, it does not create any special problems for the body, since creatinine is a low-toxic substance. Its harmful effect on tissues is possible only with significant deviations from the norm.

Fluctuations in the concentration of creatinine and its growth is a consequence of a variety of painful conditions and ailments. It signals the presence of pathology in the body. Therefore, hypercreatinemia itself does not manifest itself. Basically, it is combined with some other manifestations that prompt a study on the content of creatinine. These symptoms are:

• muscle pain;
• puffiness;
• muscle weakness, fatigue;
• the amount of daily urine either sharply decreases or increases significantly;
• pathological changes occur in the urine: an excess of protein, erythrocytes and leukocytes appears;
• there are pains in the lumbar region;
• high pressure occurs.

Elevated creatinine levels are detected using a special blood test. Additionally, urine is studied. If the creatinine in the blood is higher than normal, and in the urine, on the contrary, it is less, then this is a symptom that the patient has hypercreatinemia.

Why creatinine levels rise and hypercreatinemia occurs

The origin and development of hypercreatinemia can occur at any stage of the metabolic process involving creatinine. It can take two forms: moderate and severe.

Moderate hypercreatinemia is caused by the following non-pathological factors:

• excessive physical activity and artificial build-up of muscle mass with the help of special drugs (they are often abused by weightlifters);
• long sitting on strict low-carbohydrate diets, the main feature of which is the consumption of large amounts of protein foods while refusing carbohydrate-rich foods. This leads to the breakdown of muscles, which, due to a lack of carbohydrates, begin to serve as their source;
• taking certain types of medications (tetracycline, ibuprofen, and some others);
• the period of maturation of the body;
• severe dehydration (fluid loss);
• excessive consumption of substances rich in creatine with food (this is, first of all, meat and fish products);
• excess body weight;
• During pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• physical old age.

A moderate form of hypercreatinemia can also be caused by a number of diseases. Here are the main ones:

• Autoimmune diseases that are accompanied by severe damage to connective tissues: vasculitis, arthritis, lupus.
• Various endocrine disorders that lead to disruptions in metabolic processes, including: diabetes mellitus; hypothyroidism (hyperactive thyroid gland) - it dramatically reduces the filtering capabilities of the kidneys; adrenal hyperactivity.
• A variety of kidney diseases (including renal failure), due to which the so-called glomerular filtration in the kidneys worsens, and creatinine is not completely removed.
• Liver damage (cirrhosis, inflammation and intoxication).
• Myasthenia.
• Severe extensive burns.
• Gangrenes of extremities and accompanying necrosis of tissues.

Now let's move on to the acute, pronounced form of hypercreatinemia. It occurs due to diseases such as:

• Renal failure 3-4 degrees.
• Severe muscular dystrophy.
• Crush syndrome (it occurs when a person is in an unnatural position for a long time, for example, under the rubble of a collapsed building).
• Leptospirosis and other types of severe infections.
• Cancer diseases.

How to reduce plasma creatinine levels

If your creatinine level is high, your doctor will usually prescribe:

• Drugs (for example, lespeflan and ketosteril) that normalize protein metabolism and help the body get rid of their metabolic products.
• Hemodialysis (if there is acute renal failure).
• Hypoglycemic drugs (in the presence of diabetes).
• Medicines that lower blood pressure if it is elevated (for example, hydrochlorothiazide).

To bring the creatinine to normal, the doctor may also prescribe laser physiotherapy.

Massages are often prescribed by the doctor. They relax the body, normalize blood circulation and help the kidneys deal with creatinine.

Your doctor may advise you to stop taking certain medications that increase creatine levels. These include, for example, cyclosporine and ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. They are prescribed in the treatment of certain kidney diseases.

Also, probably, the doctor will prescribe to refuse the use of certain food additives (vanadium and others).

Alternative and folk methods of treatment

Traditional and alternative medicine can offer many different ways to deal with elevated creatine. For example, it is recommended to use rice water and herbal preparations.

Osmotherapy is an interesting way to treat a disease that came to us from China. The method is based on the use of therapeutic baths, which have a beneficial effect on blood circulation and normalize kidney function.

What diet to follow if creatinine is elevated

• plant foods high in vitamins A, B2, and C;
• various cereals;
• bakery products from wholemeal flour;
• dairy products.

Due to the increased level of creatinine in the blood plasma, you will have to almost completely exclude from your diet protein-rich meat, fatty, salty, fried and smoked foods, due to which the fluid is more slowly excreted from the body, and the level of nitrogenous compounds increases.

However, this does not mean that you need to forget about the existence of products with protein. You just need to use those of them in which there is not too much of it (for example, various plant products).

In addition, you will have to give up:

• coffee and strong tea;
• alcoholic beverages (even with a low alcohol content) and cigarettes;
• foods with a high percentage of phosphorus or potassium (if the kidneys are “junk”, these substances begin to accumulate in human organs).

Foods high in potassium include chocolate, raisins, sunflower seeds, bananas, beans, spinach, whole milk, and chips.

There is a lot of phosphorus in fish, pork, soy, nuts, cheese and zucchini.

The amount of salt consumed must be limited. In the daily diet, it should not exceed 3 grams.

Prevention

In order for creatinine not to go beyond the normal range, it is necessary to maintain normal water metabolism in the body and for this to use such an amount of fluid that the kidneys are able to cope with. In addition, you need not to physically overstrain the body, sleep regularly and enough, do not disturb the diet.

Elevated creatinine levels can lead to serious problems with the kidneys and other organs of the body. It is necessary to do everything possible so that its content remains normal, and for this to observe a number of, in general, simple preventive measures.

Don't let this dangerous substance poison your life, keep it in check and stay healthy.

Creatinine testing is one of the most common tests. Such attention to this substance is determined by the fact that it is an important diagnostic feature that allows you to identify disorders of the kidneys, circulatory and muscular systems.

Creatinine is a residual product of protein metabolism. It is a nitrogenous compound. During normal functioning of the body, the substance is excreted through the urine. However, a small amount of nitrogenous residue is released into the blood. As long as the content (or rather, the concentration of micromoles of creatinine per liter of blood) remains within the normal range, there is no reason for concern. However, with an increase in the concentration of a substance in the blood, we can say that the kidneys do not cope with their function, which is whyincreased contentnitrogenous residue is released into the blood serum . The doctor explains in detail to the person before the analysis, how dangerous elevated creatinine. At the same time, doctors often prescribe patientshigh blood creatinine dietto normalize its level.

What is creatinine and what does it do

Raise creatinine content in the blood (hypercreatininemia) is an important diagnostic feature, as well as a syndrome that can lead to certain disorders in the body. This substance has its own functions. It removes urea and other metabolic residues through the urine. If creatinine is poorly filtered by the kidneys and begins to elevated volume to be released into the blood, these functions are impaired, and the patient may experience negative symptoms , problems with urination and excretion of toxic substances.

However, first of all, the level of creatinine is a diagnostic sign that indicates third-party diseases. Most often, its increase indicates a decrease in the filtration of toxic substances by the kidneys. Also, an excess of the norm can indicate the destruction of muscle tissues, since it is as a result of their growth and development that creatinine is formed. Physicians identify the followingreasons for increasing blood creatinine:

As you can see, a simple creatinine test can provide a clue to diagnosing a serious illness. Therefore, checking the concentration of this substance is mandatory and is included in the standard medical examination program for adults.

Blood test for creatinine

A blood test for creatinine is a standard biochemical analysis. It is recommended to take it every year. To do this, it is advisable to attend a medical examination in a clinic or at the expense of the enterprise in which the employee works.

In order to correctly pass the analysis for the content of nitrogenous residue, it is necessary to prepare:

1. Two days before the analysis, it is necessary to refuse food high in protein. It can be consumed only if the daily intake of protein due to it does not exceed the norm. If the patient uses sports supplements, with the permission of the doctor and trainer, they should be temporarily discontinued.
2. You should also reduce your level of physical activity. It is preferable for the patient to be at rest. He can continue to work, but you should not overstrain. If possible, you need to give the body a rest.
3. Observe the sleep and nutrition regimen, as well as allocate time for rest. If these recommendations are not followed, stress can occur that adversely affects the accuracy of medical measurements. It is important to protect yourself from emotional conversations and upheavals.
4. 8 hours before the analysis, you must refuse food. Since the test is most often scheduled in the morning, the last meal is dinner. The portion at the last meal should be small. It should not include fried, fatty, spicy, salty, and fast food.
5. You should stop smoking 2 hours before the analysis. On the day of the test, it is generally advisable not to smoke.

If the patient is taking certain medications and vitamin supplements, the doctor who ordered the creatinine test should be consulted. He will tell you if you can continue taking the drugs or if you should stop taking them for 1-2 days. To harm research can glucocorticosteroids and other hormonal stimulants. If the patient's health condition is not critical, for the sake of correct indicators analysis, you can skip one step of such tablets.

The analysis is carried out at 8-12 am. The patient should come to him on an empty stomach. A small amount of water or weak tea without sugar is allowed. With the permission of the doctor, if there are additional indications (diabetes, etc.), 2-3 hours before the test, you can have breakfast with bread.

Blood collection is carried out strictly in conditions with high sanitation. The doctor should use gloves, a disposable syringe and disinfectants. Blood is taken from the elbow. To take it, a needle is placed in a vein. Before inserting the needle under the skin, the required area is treated with an antiseptic liquid. About 15 ml of blood is taken to determine the concentration. She immediately enters the test tube, which is sealed and sent to the laboratory for decoding.

In laboratory conditions, the material is settled. There is a separation of the ichor from the rest of the substance. After that, you can check the concentration of creatinine. It is calculated strictly according to a formula that takes into account the weight, height and gender of the patient. The level of nitrogenous residue is calculated by an automatic installation. The risk of getting an incorrect result is minimal.

The final diagnosis can only be made on the basis of additional examinations. One level of creatinine is not enough to differentiate the disease. The attending physician should take a current history and perform additional blood chemistry tests, urinalysis, and creatinine clearance tests.

Deviations from the norm

There are certain norms for the content of a substance in the blood. They differ by gender and age.. Men have elevated creatininein connection with the peculiarities of physiology and anatomy is the norm. It can reach 115 µmol per liter of blood, while in women the upper limit remains around 98 µmol.

The table will help you understand what indicators are considered normal for representatives of different sexes and age groups and determine what will behigh creatinine(concentration is given in µmol per litre):

The most common is an increase in creatinine concentration. The reasons for this deviation are described above. In some cases, patients do not need therapy , they can get away with improvingdiet for high creatinineand lifestyle changes. In other situations, it is necessary to undergo additional examinations in order to choose the right drugs for the treatment of ailments.

To accurately determine the cause of the increase in creatinine, several additional examinations are performed. First of all, these are other tests (both blood and urine):

1. A biochemical blood test for the content of other residual substances, such as uric acid. It allows you to determine whether the function of the kidneys is impaired. If it is also exceeded, we can talk about the malfunction of the body.
2. Clearance check. Clearance is the rate at which a substance is eliminated from the body by natural filtration mechanisms. Previously, it was determined by urine analysis. The patient was injected with artificial creatinine, and then the subject had to collect material for testing (urine) for a whole day. At the end of the day it was possible to check the concentration. However, now the analysis has become more convenient: creatinine is injected with the help of an injection, and then, after 15-20 minutes, a blood test is done. During this period of time, the kidneys should already have eliminated most of the substance from the blood.
3. Analysis of urine. Allows you to find out if the urinary system is functioning normally. Blockage of this system can lead to the fact that creatinine, having lost another way of excretion from the body, begins to enter the bloodstream.

Various ultrasound examinations (kidneys, liver, abdominal cavity, urinary system), an echogram of the heart muscle, and a check of the concentration of thyroid hormones can also be prescribed.

How to lower blood creatinine levels

There are several ways to reduce the concentration of a substance. The method of reducing the concentration varies depending on the cause of the failure and is determined by the doctor. So, if the violation has arisen due to dysfunction of the renal system, regenerative therapy of this organ is carried out, and if dehydration is detected, it is enough for the patient to adjust the daily water intake. All options for restoring normal creatinine balance are listed below.

The most common non-pathological problem that causes the release of creatinine is excessive exercise and increased protein intake. In this case, you can normalize the balance by simply refusing to consume excessive amounts of protein. It is also necessary to adjust the training program. If possible, it should be limited as much as possible to allow the body to recover. Then you can gradually return the intensity of the load.

If there are no noticeable factors for creatinine imbalance (no pathologies are diagnosed, the patient does not consume an abundance of protein), the problem may lie in increased stress. The subject should be protected from emotional overload, given more rest. He should have a clear schedule, where at least 3 hours a day are given to rest. It is very important to observe the sleep schedule and sleep at least 5 hours (the exact duration of the necessary sleep is determined individually and can be from 5 to 9 hours). You need to go to bed at a certain time so as not to stress the body due to lack of sleep.

If the violation is associated with improper functioning of the kidneys, the patient is prescribed a special diet, as well as certain drugs to restore organ tissues. If the disease has developed into an advanced stage and led to the almost complete death of the kidneys, surgical intervention will be required. It will pursue the goal of either restoring the functioning of the organ, or replacing it with a similar one taken from a donor. To prevent a kidney transplant, you should be regularly tested and, if necessary, agree to additional studies. A special diet with an abundance of pomegranate, buckwheat and some other products, as well as a low content of meat and harmful substances, will also contribute to recovery.

Blood is the most important indicator of a person's overall well-being. When health problems arise, the doctor first of all prescribes a general and biochemical blood test. Based on the results of these examinations, the picture of the disease becomes clearer, and it becomes clear which organ failed. One of the most important indicators in human blood is the level of creatinine. What is creatinine in a biochemical blood test and why it is so important to know about the norm of this blood component, we will talk in the article.

What is creatinine

Protein metabolism runs smoothly in the body. The result of these exchanges is a substance called creatinine. To avoid confusion, it is important to understand that muscle creatine is involved in metabolic processes. But the result of the work of muscle creatine and proteins is energy and creatinine. Further, the body cleverly distributes everything - it uses energy for its own benefit, and creatinine remains on the sidelines as unnecessary. It will then leave the body in the urine.

The liver and kidneys are responsible for the timely removal of creatinine from the body. In the liver, it is synthesized, and in the kidneys it is filtered and prepared for release. When the work of one of these organs is disrupted, creatinine “stagnates”, respectively, its readings in the biochemical analysis become higher than normal.

By itself, creatinine is not dangerous in any quantities, but the fact that it is not excreted from the body is a symptom of a serious pathology.

The level of creatinine in the blood of a healthy person is usually constant. It cannot be changed by malnutrition, alcohol abuse, excessive smoking. Only a malfunction in the functioning of the kidneys, liver and other systems leads to a decrease or increase in the norm of the serum component.

Blood test for creatinine

To date, a biochemical blood test is the most informative in detecting the level of creatinine in a patient's blood.

The indications for this study are:

• suspicion of urolithiasis or urea pathology;
• complex diagnostics of kidneys and muscular system;
• symptoms of increased creatinine on the face: pain in the lumbar region, shortness of breath, persistent feeling of weakness and fatigue;
• study of the biomaterial of a person who wants to become a kidney donor;
• control over the excretion of the drug as a result of renal filtration.

Rules for donating blood

In order to obtain a high-quality and reliable analysis result, it is necessary to follow the main points of preparation for the delivery of biomaterial:

1. Donate blood strictly on an empty stomach in the morning
2. A few days before the procedure, you need to adjust the intake of protein products. It is not worth removing them from the diet at all - protein is responsible for the proper functioning and development of all body systems.
3. Avoid physical activity the day before the analysis
4. Avoid alcohol, strong tea, caffeinated drinks
5. Get your thoughts in order and calm down. Various kinds of stress can adversely affect the blood test.

For the reliability of the results and a more thorough examination, biochemistry is carried out in combination with advanced urinalysis.

The norm of creatinine in a biochemical blood test

We have already said that creatinine is a constant value in a healthy body. Therefore, the concept of the norm is rather relative. When processing the results, the following factors are taken into account:

• gender in conjunction with body weight;
• age;

High-quality decoding of the analysis is the key to proper treatment.

It should be remembered that any change in the norm is just a symptom, not a diagnosis.

Deviations from the norm: symptoms and causes

When the decoding of laboratory diagnostics is in hand, the doctor will be able to assess the complexity of the situation. In most cases, creatinine is overestimated, but there is a case with a reduced norm of the serum component.

Consider what diseases a change in creatinine up or down can indicate:

Symptoms of serious renal pathologies

Unfortunately, for many of us, feeling unwell is not a reason to seek medical help. However, there are a number of symptoms that, together with an elevated blood creatinine level, should cause an immediate visit to the doctor. This is the only way to avoid serious and sometimes irreversible consequences.

In addition, the reason to donate blood for creatinine can be muscle pain without good reason, swelling caused by poor outflow of fluid from the body, a decrease or increase in the daily volume of urine.

Correction of the level of creatinine in the blood

Before starting any manipulations with the normalization of the creatinine index, consult your doctor. Only he can answer all your questions.

In any case, it is important to understand that it is not the symptom that needs to be treated, but the disease. Therefore, even if you take a set of measures to reduce creatinine levels, the problem will not be solved.

If the increase is caused by non-pathological factors, then there are a number of recommendations for normalizing creatinine in the blood:

• Change the usual menu by removing some of the protein products from it. Meat, fish, cottage cheese is better not to eat. Various cereals, vegetables and fruits contribute to the stabilization of indicators.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eliminate all salty
• Make a daily routine, strictly observe the hours of sleep and wakefulness.
• If you are taking any medication, talk to your doctor about stopping it or switching to an easier one.

Creatinine is the end product of protein metabolism, it is regularly formed and excreted from the body, there is an ongoing continuous process that is associated with the liver, kidneys and muscles. In itself, an increase in its level in the blood is not dangerous, but it always interacts with certain diseases, often signals malfunctions in the kidney system.

Very often there is a temporary increase in creatinine due to dehydration, also if the food contains a lot of protein (for example, a lot of meat in the diet) and when taking certain medications.

Norms in the blood

There are no identical indicators of the norm of creatinine, for all people it is different and therefore, when checking the level of creatinine, the sex and age of the person must be taken into account.

Creatinine levels can change:

• With age;
• With various pathologies;
• In violation of the kidneys;
• During pregnancy and lactation;
• When taking certain medications, antibiotics.

Table of normal creatinine levels.

The activity of the organism depends on the level of creatinine, and in men and women these norms are different, and in children the norms of creatinine depend on age.

Hypercreatininemia and hypocreatininemia

Hypercreatininemia is a condition in which the level of creatinine in the blood is elevated. Usually it does not manifest itself in any way, but is felt only with sharp changes from the norm to a high level. Hypocreatininemia, a condition in which creatine levels are low, is related to metabolism.

Reasons for low creatinine:

• Starvation and depletion of the body with diets;
• Diet weight loss;
• Muscle dystrophy against the background of their diseases;
• The first trimester of pregnancy, as there is a restructuring of the body and constant toxicosis.

Symptoms and consequences of high creatinine in the body

• Pain in the muscles and sometimes in the joints;
• Rapid fatigue and general weakness of the body;
• Edema of the lower extremities;
• Increased blood pressure;
• Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, anemia, shortness of breath;
• Increase or decrease in daily urination;
• Changes as a result of a general urine test.

Causes of increased creatinine

The reasons can be pathological and physiological.

Physiological include:

Since creatinine is excreted from the body only in the urine, it may first of all be renal failure.

A high level of creatinine in the body can occur against the background of such diseases (pathological causes):

• muscle injury;
• Operations;
• severe burns;
• Dehydration of the body;
• Diabetes;
• Heart failure;
• Renal failure.

How to lower high blood creatinine

In order to significantly reduce the level of creatinine in the blood to its norm, it is first necessary to cure the disease, due to which the creatinine has increased.

You can also reduce creatinine with the help of a balanced diet and diet, give up bad habits.

If high creatinine is found in the blood, a complete examination is prescribed to find the cause and possibly the disease in which the increase occurred. Be sure to consult a nutritionist about adjusting the diet.

Should be abandoned:

• Fatty meat;
• Fried, smoked and spicy;
• Coffee, strong tea;
• Flour products and sweets in the form of cakes and pastries.

The amount of food is also taken into account. Plentiful drink, herbal teas based on sage, dandelion and nettle.

Video: Diet to reduce creatinine. Three foods that harm the kidneys.

Biochemistry for creatinine and urea associated with CRF (chronic renal failure)

A biochemical analysis is prescribed by the attending physician and is given in order to establish the reasons for the increase in creatinine, and in the future, the specialist prescribes treatment, diagnostics and recommendations to reduce it. In people with chronic renal failure, creatinine is constantly elevated, and it rises several times. The concentration of urea and creatinine serves as an indicator of the functioning of the kidney system.

The formation of urea, as well as creatinine, increases when eating a large amount of protein. An increase in creatinine occurs earlier than an increase in urea. According to the results of biochemical analysis, indicators of the level of creatinine and urea in the blood or urine help to determine various pathologies and the general condition and functioning of the kidneys.

Unit of measure: mg albumin protein per g or mmol creatinine. There are several stages of chronic renal failure and at all these stages there are different indicators of creatinine levels.

Biochemical analysis can be carried out in two stages:

Video: Creatinine

Changing laboratory parameters is very important for the doctor, but often says nothing to the patient. Nevertheless, it is important for him to understand the features of the processes occurring in the body. - one of these indicators, which can increase or decrease in different situations.

You should start with the fact that creatinine enters the bloodstream constantly, and its presence in the analysis is completely normal. This substance is a by-product of chemical interactions that occur in muscle tissue and kidneys. In the skeletal and cardiac muscles, a creatine-phosphate reaction occurs, which provides a large amount of energy. Its by-product is creatinine. It enters from the muscle tissue into the venous blood, and then is utilized by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.

By itself, creatinine does not perform any function, but is an indicator of the state of muscle, heart tissue and liver function. Normal creatinine levels depend on age, gender and level of physical activity. In men, creatinine is higher than in women, in adults it is higher than in children and the elderly. The level of this substance in the blood increases with hard physical work and sports, especially professional ones. In addition to skeletal muscle tissue, creatinine is formed in the myocardium, and from it enters the blood.

Creatinine may be elevated for physiological or pathological reasons.

Physiological include a lot of physical activity, eating a large amount of animal protein. To pathological - damage to the skeletal muscles, heart and kidneys. It can be:

1. Increased creatinine release in muscle injuries (ruptures, sprains), diagnostic value is low.
2. An increase in creatinine release in myocardial infarction or heart injury - allows you to approximately determine the time of occurrence of the pathology.
3. Decreased creatinine excretion in diseases and injuries of the kidneys.

It is impossible to make a diagnosis solely on the basis - the degree of its increase does not depend on the cause. For a more accurate diagnosis, a complete result is required. For example, a combination of high creatinine and high creatinine is highly suggestive of a heart attack. With muscle injuries, creatinine levels are usually not measured - it has no diagnostic value.

Diagnosis and norm

To determine the level of creatinine in the blood, a biochemical analysis is performed. It allows you to identify several different indicators at once and, by their combination, suggest a diagnosis. This examination is performed in almost any serious disease.

The normal creatinine in adult women is 52-98 µmol/l, in adult men it is 82-116 µmol/l. In children and adolescents, it is much lower, in older people it is slightly lower than in young people. The result of the analysis can be influenced by the patient's physical activity and diet.

Blood for biochemical analysis is taken from a vein. In order for the results of the analysis to be most reliable, it is necessary to avoid physical exertion on the day before delivery. You should also limit animal protein. If this is not possible (for example, in professional athletes who adhere to a strict diet), a doctor should be warned. You need to donate blood in the morning before breakfast, the last meal should be 8 hours before the analysis. Before you donate blood, you can drink some water, but you should not get carried away - excess fluid can underestimate the performance of various substances.

The result of a biochemical analysis can be obtained the next day after the delivery, in the express laboratory - after 2-3 hours, depending on the workload.

In some cases (for example, in the intensive care unit), this analysis is performed daily for each patient. The procedure is considered safe and completely harmless to the patient.

Another examination for creatinine is the determination of its clearance in the kidneys. It is prescribed for high rates according to biochemical analysis. For analysis, the determination of the concentration of creatinine in the urine during the day is used. Then, using a calculation formula that takes into account the height and weight of the patient, determine the glomerular filtration rate and the rate of excretion of creatinine.

Reasons for the increase

Some of the reasons for the increase in creatinine in the blood have already been mentioned above, but some of them are worth dwelling on in more detail. Physiological causes can affect the reliability of the result of the analysis, therefore, before the procedure and they must be eliminated if possible or the doctor should be warned about these factors.

Physiological causes of increased creatinine include:

• Greater muscle mass.
• Increased physical activity (should be limited the day before the analysis).
• A large amount of meat in the diet (should be limited the day before the analysis).
• A side effect of certain medications (it is necessary to conduct an analysis after a course of treatment or warn the doctor).

The list of pathological causes of elevated creatinine is much longer. This can be damage to large volumes of muscle tissue with prolonged compression syndrome and burns, malignant muscle tumors, radiation sickness, dehydration, myocardial infarction, circulatory disorders in the kidneys,. As a rule, increased creatinine is accompanied by other biochemical changes in the body.

Treatment and diet

It should be remembered that it is not the elevated creatinine itself that needs to be treated, but its causes - one of the diseases listed above, therefore, etiotropic treatment is prescribed first of all. To eliminate the actual elevated creatinine, several measures are taken.

First of all, among them it is worth noting the diet:

• The patient is prescribed a diet low in animal protein and fat.
• The consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish is recommended, and the amount of meat is strictly regulated.
• It is recommended to consume as much liquid as possible.

If the creatinine level is very high, then the diet will not be enough, and detoxification measures are taken. The patient is prescribed forced diuresis - the use of a large amount of fluid in combination with diuretics (furosemide is most effective). If the patient is unable to drink, fluid is given intravenously. For this, a Rheosorbilact solution is used, as well as saline, Ringer's solution and a 5% glucose solution. Such measures are permissible only during normal kidney function, if creatinine intake is increased.

If the filtration of blood by the kidneys is impaired, the patient is prescribed hemodialysis.

This procedure removes substances from the blood that should normally be excreted in the urine, and the level of creatinine serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of therapy. Hemodialysis is always combined with a low-protein or protein-free diet, but hemodialysis and forced diuresis should never be used simultaneously.

Prognosis and complications

The prognosis depends on the cause that caused the increase in creatinine. This laboratory indicator is necessary in order to monitor the effectiveness of treatment, to prevent possible deterioration of the condition. Its most important level becomes in chronic renal failure.

Creatinine allows you to track the effectiveness of hemodialysis, based on the data on cretinine clearance, a decision is made on the need for a kidney transplant to the patient. The prognosis for this disease is always unfavorable, but the patient's quality of life depends on the quality of medical care.

Creatinine itself is a toxic substance for the body, so its excess in the blood causes increased fatigue, a constant feeling of fatigue, decreased memory and attention.

With a long course of the disease or at high concentrations of creatinine, convulsions, muscle pain, headaches, confusion, may occur.

Despite the fact that creatinine is a toxin, it does not pose a great danger to the body. It can be considered as a signal that there are some serious disorders and as an important diagnostic sign that allows you to track changes in the patient's condition.

More information about the biochemical blood test can be found in the video.