Organ donor programs refer to the donated organ as the "gift of life." This name is especially applicable for kidneys. Given that the five-year survival rate for patients on dialysis between 2002 to 2007 was a mere 33.6 percent and the wait for a new kidney can be as long as five or six years in some locations, transplant recipients understandably don't want to gamble with their precious gift, especially by taking a supplement such as creatine, which isn't really necessary.
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid taken by athletes to build muscle. The kidneys, liver and pancreas also make creatine, which is stored in the muscles as creatine phosphate before being broken down to form a waste product called creatinine. Creatinine circulates through the bloodstream until the kidneys remove it and excrete it into the urine.
Disease Marker
When kidneys become scarred because of kidney disease, they are less effective at removing waste from the blood. Unlike urine protein, which goes up and down, creatinine is a reliable marker for evidence of scarring because it accumulates in the blood. Since creatinine comes from creatine, it follows that taking creatine could raise creatinine levels if your kidneys are compromised.
Risks
As of 2011, scientists have not conducted clinical studies on the effects of creatine on transplant recipients. However, there is a wealth of information as to the effect of creatine on animals with renal disease. These studies apply to transplant recipients because their single kidney is under twice the stress as the kidneys of healthy people. In addition to the risk of rejection, the patient also faces problems if the transplanted kidney wears out. According to the National Kidney Federation, there is a 50 percent chance that a transplanted kidney will last 10 years or more. People lose their transplanted kidneys because of rejection, recurrence of the underlying disease or the kidney wearing out.
Research
The January 2001 issue of "American Journal of Kidney Diseases" reports on a study in which rats with cystic kidney disease were given creatine. Researchers observed that the renal function in these rats declined faster than comparable rats who did not receive creatine. The researchers concluded that people who are at risk for renal disease should be particularly cautious about taking creatine. Since transplant recipients already have compromised function, they should avoid taking creatine.
References
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Diseases Statistics for the United States; April 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- Family Practice Notebook: Serum Creatinine
- "Nephrology Transplantation Dialysis"; Creatine Supplementation Does Not Affect Kidney Function in an Animal Model With Pre-Existing Renal Failure; Y.E.C. Taes et al; September 2002
- "American Journal of Kidney Diseases"; Creatine Supplementation Increases Renal Disease Progression in Han:SPRD-cy Rats; J.W. Edmunds et al; January 2001
- "Amino Acids"; Studies on the Safety of Creatine Supplementation; H.J. Kim et al; May 2011
