Biomarkers > Metabolic > Creatinine

Creatinine (mg/dL)

Metabolic

About Creatinine

Perfect kidney function

Reference Values

Optimal Range
0.6 - 0.9 mg/dL
Women's Optimal Range
0.5 - 1.1 mg/dL
Elite Value
0.6 mg/dL

Health Implications

High
Elevated levels may indicate impaired kidney function or chronic kidney disease, as creatinine is a waste product filtered by the kidneys.
Low
Low levels may be associated with decreased muscle mass or certain liver conditions, reducing the production of creatinine.

Symptoms

High
May include fatigue, headaches, swelling or dark urine, nausea, changes in urination patterns, difficulty breathing, and elevated blood pressure.
Low
Can include dizziness, weakness, confusion, irritability, reduced muscle mass, and low blood pressure.

Lifestyle Factors

Adequate hydration Reduce salt intake Regular cardiovascular exercise Limit red meat consumption Plant-based nutrition Avoid over-the-counter NSAIDs

Specimen Type

Blood Serum Blood Plasma Urine

Testing Methods

Jaffe Method Enzymatic Method Kinetic Rate Reaction Dry Slide Technology High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Automated Clinical Analyzer
Also Known As
Creatinine clearanceCrClSerum creatinineUrinary creatinineCreatinine serum test

Scientific Sources

  1. Levey, A. S., & Inker, L. A. (2020). GFR as the "Gold Standard": Estimated, Measured, and True. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 75(6), 849-854.
  2. Levey, A. S., Eckardt, K. U., Dorman, N. M., Christiansen, S. L., Hoorn, E. J., Ingelfinger, J. R., ... & Cheung, M. (2020). Nomenclature for kidney function and disease: report of a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus conference. Kidney International, 97(6), 1117-1129.
  3. Inker, L. A., Eneanya, N. D., Coresh, J., Tighiouart, H., Wang, D., Sang, Y., ... & Levey, A. S. (2021). New creatinine- and cystatin C–based equations to estimate GFR without race. New England Journal of Medicine, 385(19), 1737-1749.
  4. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. (2022). KDIGO 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney International Supplements, 12(1), 1-115.
  5. tional Kidney Foundation. (2023). Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). Retrieved from

Related Biomarkers

GFR, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), BUN / Creatinine Ratio, Albumin/Creatinine Ratio - Urine, Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)

Testing Information

Looking to get your Creatinine tested? Find labs near you that offer this test.

Find Testing Locations