Creatinine is a waste product your kidneys eliminate through urine. When you eat, the process of changing food into energy produces a substance called creatine which is transported to the muscles and broken down. The waste product of creatine is...
Creatinine results from a metabolic breakdown of creatine phosphate, an amino acid compound used in skeletal muscle contraction. According to the "Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests," the daily production of creatine and creatinine...
Elevated creatinine levels scare many patients because they are often associated with kidney disease. Before rushing to conclusions as to the cause of the elevated level, doctors and patients should rule out any other reason why creatinine might...
The body maintains very narrow normal ranges of BUN, creatinine and glucose in the blood. BUN, or blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine form when the body metabolizes protein from foods. Glucose, a sugar, serves as a source of energy for the body...
Urine tests commonly measure protein and creatinine to check for the presence of kidney disease or dysfunction. Protein in your urine is abnormal and prompts follow-up testing. If your kidneys do not work properly, your doctor may need to test...
Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical in your body available in supplement form. Like any supplement, it has the potential for harmful drug interactions. Aleve is the brand name for naproxen. Taking creatine and Aleve together is...
Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, are both nitrogen-containing waste products generated by muscular activity. Many patients panic if lab results come back with elevated creatinine or BUN. This is understandable because these values can...
Making sense of your laboratory results is difficult if you're a newly-diagnosed kidney patient. So much seems to be abnormal that it's hard to sort out the possible relationships between different lab tests. High cholesterol doesn't contribute to...
Elevated creatinine levels are an indication of impaired kidney function. Generally, by the time creatinine levels begin to rise, kidney function may be impaired as much as 40 percent. Creatinine levels can be temporarily or permanently elevated...
Troponin is the collective term used to describe three proteins in the cardiac muscle: troponins I, T and C. Troponin levels in a healthy person are too low to measure, so an elevated troponin is a sign of a heart attack or other heart muscle...
Creatinine is a nitrogenous waste product produced by muscular activity. Creatinine levels in patients with chronic kidney disease can increase over time. Such increases are a red flag that kidney function is decreasing. As these levels increase,...
Your kidneys help maintain normal blood concentration by removing wastes, excess fluid and electrolytes such as potassium. Potassium, blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, and creatinine blood tests can monitor kidney function in patients diagnosed with...
Creatinine is a by-product of creatine, a supplier of energy to muscles. It is the chemical waste product that is produced from normal muscle contractions and released into the blood, then passes through the kidneys to be filtered and eliminated...
Numerous conditions cause high levels of creatinine and uric acid in your body. According to the MedlinePlus website, creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine, an important part of your muscles. Uric acid is a chemical that is created when...
Creatine supplementation is popular among people wanting to increase muscle mass, with Americans spending an estimated $14 million on the supplement annually. (Reference 2) Creatine is safe and beneficial for you to use if you have naturally low...
Creatine and its breakdown product, creatinine, play an important role in energy metabolism. The body synthesizes creatine and derives it from food sources. It enters cells to help provide energy before being broken down and excreted. The level of...
The creatinine and BUN, or blood urea nitrogen, blood tests are usually ordered as a part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel to assess kidney function. These tests may be ordered as part of a routine physical exam or to monitor declining...
Coffee, espresso, cola, tea, chai and most energy drinks contain caffeine. If you consume these beverages regularly, you might be concerned about the health effects of caffeine, especially if you have kidney disease. Fortunately, for most people,...
Cisplatin is a strong chemotherapy agent used to treat a variety of cancers, including sarcoma, lymphoma and ovarian cancer. It was discovered in the mid-19th century but until the early 1970s was not used as a chemotherapeutic drug. Cisplatin...
Physicians normally recommend a blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, test along with creatinine levels to evaluate and measure how your kidneys are functioning. Laboratories often test BUN and creatinine levels together or in a group of blood tests known...
Nephrologists routinely measure creatinine, urine protein, phosphorus and potassium. The results from these tests determine the course of treatment, as well as what nutritional advice is appropriate. The best way to evaluate alternative treatments...
Creatinine is a blood test that is ordered to assess kidney function. Using this test, along with other factors such as age, gender and weight, can help physicians calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is a measure of...
Dark circles and sunken eyes signify a lack of hydration in your body, which may lead to organ failure or death. Knowing how to treat dehydration may save your life or the life of a loved one. Before you can treat someone who is experiencing...
Health care professionals make medical diagnoses based on history, physical exam, laboratory findings and other special studies. Creatine is a chemical found in the blood that helps restore the main energy carrier of your cells -- ATP. After it is...
Creatine is an amino acid that helps to provide energy to the cells of the body, particularly the muscle cells. It is produced naturally by the body but is also available as a nutritional supplement. Adequate levels of creatine allow a person to...
Since nephrologists often recommend that patients with advanced kidney disease avoid dark-colored soda, you might mistakenly assume that soda is bad for your kidneys. There are many good reasons to refrain from guzzling soda, but they relate more...
Lisinopril belongs to a category of medications called ACE inhibitors. ACE stands for angiotensin converting enzyme. According to Consumer Reports, this family of drugs is used by tens of millions of Americans to treat high blood pressure and...
Diet can't change creatinine levels, but it can minimize symptoms of renal failure that accompany elevated creatinine. You shouldn't rush into an unnecessarily restrictive diet without consulting your nephrologist and seeing if dietary changes are...
Chronically high creatinine is a symptom of chronic kidney disease. This waste product is produced when muscles break down creatine. Compromised kidneys are less able to filter creatinine from the blood than healthy kidneys so serum creatinine...
