Contents:
- Medical Video: Stages of Kidney Disease
- Creatinine function for your body
- How do you know creatinine levels in the body?
- Then, what does it mean if the creatinine test results are low?
- 1. Depreciation of muscle mass (muscular dystrophy)
- 2. Liver disease
- 3. Pregnant
- 4. Being on a diet
Medical Video: Stages of Kidney Disease
Test Creatinine is a test that measures the amount of creatinine in the blood. Creatinine is a waste product from creatine phosphate, an amino acid used in the process of muscle contraction. The amount of creatinine in the body per day tends to be stable if the kidney filtration function runs well. So what does it mean if the creatinine test results are low? What really happened to your body? Come on, find out the answer in the following review.
Creatinine function for your body
As described above, creatinine is a waste produced when muscles contract. But even though it's called waste, creatinine serves to increase body mass, improve muscle performance for short-term intense physical activity, and help restore muscle after exercise. Research shows that creatinine is also able to stop bacterial growth so that it supports the immune system.
Creatine, an amino acid the initial form of creatinine, is produced in the liver and then transported through the blood to the muscles to help it contract. The used creatine will be damaged and enter the bloodstream to the kidneys.
The kidneys will filter creatinine from the blood and channel it to the bladder to excrete it with urine. The mechanism for removing residual creatinine through urine is the body's way of maintaining normal creatinine levels.
How do you know creatinine levels in the body?
Everyone has a different level of creatinine normal, depending on body weight, muscle mass, age, and gender. Generally the normal level of creatinine in men is around 0.6 to 1.2 mg / dl. While the normal creatinine level in women is around 0.5 to 1.1 mg / dl.
To determine the creatinine level in the body, doctors will recommend a creatinine test through a blood test (serum creatinine test) to measure blood creatinine levels and a urine test to measure the amount of creatinine in the urine.
Creatinine testing is commonly used to diagnose decreased kidney function. The amount of creatinine produced by the body per day should tend to be stable if the kidney screening function is running well. However, general creatinine levels experience slight changes in one day; lowest at 7am and the highest at 7pm.
Then, what does it mean if the creatinine test results are low?
Low creatinine test results can indicate a number of conditions. Some include natural and natural body changes, while others may require further medical attention.
Some possible conditions that can cause low creatinine levels in the body are:
1. Depreciation of muscle mass (muscular dystrophy)
Depreciation of muscle mass is generally a natural body change with age. However, this problem can also be caused by a disorder called distrofi muscle.
Muscle dystrophy is a genetic mutation that results in progressive loss of muscle mass which makes the muscles weaker and longer. A person with muscular dystrophy can have no muscle at all in the final stages of this disease.
In addition to low creatine levels, people with muscular dystrophy will also feel symptoms such as weakness, pain, and stiffness in the muscles which makes it difficult to move freely.
2. Liver disease
Creatinine is produced in the liver. When your liver functions are disrupted, for example due to chronic liver disease, creatinine production can decrease by 50 percent.
The main symptoms caused by liver damage are stomach pain and swelling, jaundice (white eyes, nails, and yellowing of the skin), and pale and bloody stools.
3. Pregnant
Apart from illness, if you are a woman of childbearing age the results of a low creatinine test can indicate that you are pregnant. Creatinine levels will decrease naturally, and will return to normal after giving birth.
4. Being on a diet
Low creatinine levels in the body can also mean you are a vegetarian, or are on a high-fiber diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Vegetarians tend to have lower creatinine levels than people who eat meat. Because, creatinine will tend to be high after consuming large amounts of animal protein sources.
If your creatinine test results are low, your doctor will recommend you take further tests, such as muscle biopsy or muscle enzyme tests to check for possible muscle damage and liver function tests.
