What Is The Prognosis For High And Low Creatinine Levels
The prognosis for high creatinine levels depends on the underlying cause.
If high creatinine levels are due to kidney disease, it depends on the stage of the illness. Kidney disease often progresses slowly, and early stages may often be managed with a healthy diet, exercise, and proper medications. In later stages, dialysis or even kidney transplantation may be needed.
If creatinine levels are elevated due to dehydration, then rehydration often fixes the problem with no lasting effects.
Low levels of creatinine are usually not considered a serious medical problem. In cases where patients can increase muscle mass, this may be helpful.
Why Do People Think Creatine Damages The Kidneys
The concerns about creatine and the kidneys stem from initial concerns about protein.
The kidneys have a major workload, and thus can be taxed. However, when kidneys get damaged it becomes a more stress is worse situation where making them work harder will simply exacerbate and speed up the damage.
The best example of this is protein.
Clinically speaking, people with kidney damage thrive best on diets that are limited in protein intake. This is because amino acids, the building blocks of protein, inherently stress the kidneys a bit when they get processed
While normally this is an acceptable stress that the kidneys can recover from easily in a damaged state where the kidneys are less able to repair themselves it becomes a straw that breaks the camels back situation.
While its well demonstrated that excessive protein intake harms already damaged kidneys there was concern for a while that protein, inherently, could harm the kidneyscausing a problem as well as accelerating it.
However, studies spanning over a decade in time found that this is seemingly not an issue. Regardless of your protein intake, as long as your kidneys are in a state of good health then protein is not a strong enough insult to cause damage. Damage needs to come from another source, like the process of aging or alcohol abuse.
Now, how does creatine fit into all of this? Two major reasons:
Association Between Urine Creatinine And Kidney Stones
The primary purpose of this study was to clarify the association between UCR and the prevalence of kidney stone formation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used. Three models were constructed . After adjusting for all confounding factors fully in model 3, a weak positive trend of UCR with kidney stones formation was evident .
Table 3. Analysis between UCR with kidney stone formation in different subgroups.
Figure 1. Smooth curve fittings model, adjusted age, sex, race, education, marital status, annual household income, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, BMI, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, serum calcium, total triglyceride, total protein, serum glucose, serum uric acid, and serum creatinine. The central part of the two blue curves designates 95% CI.
Subgroup analyses stratified by UCR quartiles, age, sex, race, and BMI were conducted to address the potential heterogeneous population . When compared to Q1, the OR values of the other quartile groups indicated a tendency of progressive growth in the quartile group. Stratified analyses also confirmed similar results. In men , women , white race , aged 4059 years , and aged 6080 years , the risk of kidney stone formation was found to aggravate further with UCR.
Table 4. Two-piecewise linear regression and logarithmic likelihood ratio test explained the threshold effect analysis of UCR on the renal stone incidence.
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What Happens During The Creatinine Clearance Test
You will do the creatinine clearance test over 24 hours. During this time, you will collect your urine each time you urinate. This will give your healthcare provider a good idea of your creatinine levels throughout the entire day.
Make sure to follow the directions from your healthcare provider closely. These instructions will include details about how to store your urine sample and where you will take it when the test is over.
After 24 hours of collecting your urine, you will need to have your blood drawn. This second part of the test looks at the amount of creatinine in your bloodstream. This is called serum creatinine. Your results from both of these tests will be plugged into a mathematic formula that determines your creatinine clearance. This rate tells your provider just how well your kidneys are filtering waste products out of your bloodstream.
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What Are Normal Blood Creatinine Levels
Normal blood creatinine levels vary and depend on age, race, gender, and body size.
Normal serum creatinine ranges are:
- 0.61.1 mg/dL in women and adolescents aged 16 and older
- 0.81.3 mg/dL in men and adolescents aged 16 and older
- 0.2 or more in infants, depending on muscle development
Serum creatinine ranges are lower for women because women have less muscle mass and, thus, a lower rate of creatinine formation and excretion.
Normal blood creatinine levels also vary by race. For non-Hispanic blacks, the average blood creatinine is 1.25 mg/dL in men and 1.01 mg/dL in women. In non-Hispanic whites the mean blood creatinine levels are 1.16 mg/dL in men and 0.97 mg/dL in women, and in Mexican-Americans the values are 1.07 mg/dL in men and 0.86 mg/dL in women.
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What Are The Causes Of High Creatinine Levels
High creatinine levels may be caused due to following reasons
Chronic Kidney Diseases
Chronic kidney disease may lead to an increased level of serum creatinine. Based on increased creatinine levels, the doctor may advise undergoing eGFR for confirming chronic kidney disease.
Increased Protein Intake
High protein intake such as protein supplements or cooked meat increase the level of creatinine.
Dehydration
Dehydration increases serum creatinine levels. In case of severe dehydration, the kidney may experience acute injury and the patient may need dialysis.
Kidney Obstruction
Hydronephrosis, a condition characterized by urine accumulation and reduced kidney function, caused by kidney stones or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia, may result in an increased level of serum creatinine.
Medications
Certain medications may also lead to the rise of serum creatinine levels. These medications include trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, cimetidine, ranitidine, fenofibrate, and cephalosporin antibiotic.
Rigorous Exercise
Rigorous exercise may also lead to an increase in serum creatinine levels.
What Are High And Low Creatinine Levels
A high creatinine level is typically anything over 1.3 .
Certain conditions may cause a person to have higher than normal levels of creatinine.
- People with only one kidney may have a normal creatinine level of about 1.8 or 1.9.
- Creatinine levels of 2.0 or more in infants and 5.0 or more in adults may indicate severe kidney damage.
- People who are dehydrated may have elevated creatinine levels.
Low creatinine levels are often seen in patients with low muscle mass and are not usually considered a serious medical problem.
- Limit alcohol intake.
If creatinine levels are elevated from dehydration, rehydration is needed either via oral fluids or intravenously.
Medications that cause high creatinine levels may need to be changed or stopped. Talk to your doctor before altering or stopping any medications.
Other than for trying to increase muscle mass in general, low creatinine levels usually do not require treatment.
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Can Kidney Stones Lead To Chronic Kidney Disease
If you or someone you know has had a kidney stone before, you probably heard them describe the excruciating pain. What may start out feeling like a stomachache or some lower back pain can quickly become unbearable as your body tries to pass the stone.
Though painful, a kidney stone typically does not cause damage. However, kidney stones can be a sign of other health issues.
More people are getting kidney stones, which is cause for concern because of the factors that contribute to kidney stones and what can happen if kidney stones keep recurring, said Prince Mohan, M.D., medical director of Transplant Nephrology at Geisinger.
Typically, any waste that builds up in the kidneys is dissolved in the liquid that passes through them. But when there is a high level of minerals or salt and too little liquid, kidney stones begin to form. Usually, kidney stones that stay in the kidney arent noticeable.
The pain is a result of the kidney stone beginning to move from a kidney to the bladder through a tube called the ureter.
Most people dont know they have a kidney stone until they begin to feel severe pain in the side or abdomen, nausea, or if their urine is pink or red, said Dr. Mohan. They may be diagnosed in the emergency department after experiencing severe pain.
Having one kidney stone increases the risk of developing another one, said Dr. Mohan. This also increases the risk of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
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Types Of Kidney Stones
There are four major types of kidney stones, including:
- stones formed from calcium not used by the bones and muscles, combined with oxalate or phosphate these are the most common kidney stones
- stones containing magnesium and the waste product ammonia these are called struvite stones and form after urine infections
- uric acid stones these are often caused by eating very large amounts of protein foods
- cystine stones these are rare and hereditary.
Treatment Of Kidney Disease Stage 3
Once you are diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease, there is no way to treat the damage that has already been done to your kidneys. The following steps for your treatment have to do with treating the issues caused by decreased kidney functioning and preventing further damage.
These treatments include:
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Which Kidney Disease Is Known To Be Inherited
A type of kidney disease that is genetic, or inherited, is polycystic kidney disease . Polycystic means many cysts, and this disorder is characterized by cysts in both kidneys . These cysts can grow and cause the kidneys to get larger, while replacing the normal tissue. This can ultimately result in chronic kidney disease and kidney failure over time.
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What Are The Facts About Herbal Supplements
The following facts about herbal supplements are true for everyone, with or without kidney disease. Herbal supplements often have more than one name: a common name and a plant name. Some common concerns include:
- The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate herbal supplements for dose, content, or pureness.
- Some herbal supplements have aristolochic acid, which is harmful to kidneys.
- Herbal supplements made in other countries may have heavy metals.
- There are few studies to show if herbal supplements have real benefits and even less information in patients with kidney disease.
- Herbal supplements may interact with prescription medicines to either decrease or increase how the medicine works.
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What Are The Symptoms Of High Creatinine Levels
Like proteinuria, a high creatine level is more an indication of a potential health problem, rather than a problem itself. If your creatine level increase is caused by a kidney issues, you may experience related symptoms. Kidney conditions often cause bladder and fluid retention issues.If your kidneys arent working well enough to remove toxins and waste from your body, you could notice a wide range of symptoms, including:
- Nausea
- Changes in urination frequency and appearance
- High blood pressure
Other Reasons For An Increase In Creatinine
The first reason for increasing Creatinine is more exercise, running, or doing any work that makes the body tired. It is often noticed that bodybuilders who intensively work out during their gym sessions and they also consume creatine as a supplement to give muscles an additional strength are more likely to have increased creatinine levels. Creatinine starts to increase rapidly, but with the help of diet and proper functioning of the kidney, Creatinine goes out of the body through urine.
The second reason is that due to high fever, cold, or any infection, the muscles also start making more Creatinine, and due to this, the Creatinine in the blood. In such a situation, the Creatinine increases only by one to two.
Another reason for the increase in Creatinine is the high intake of protein.
So these were the other reasons due to which the creatinine level increases. So kidney failure can be avoided.
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Treatment For Kidney Stones
Most kidney stones can be treated without surgery. Ninety per cent of stones pass by themselves within three to six weeks. In this situation, the only treatment required is pain relief. However, pain can be so severe that hospital admission and very strong pain-relieving medication may be needed. Always seek immediate medical attention if you are suffering strong pain.
Small stones in the kidney do not usually cause problems, so there is often no need to remove them. A doctor specialising in the treatment of kidney stones is the best person to advise you on treatment.
If a stone doesnt pass and blocks urine flow or causes bleeding or an infection, then it may need to be removed. New surgical techniques have reduced hospital stay time to as little as 48 hours. Treatments include:
Question: Does Creatine Cause Kidney Stones
Years ago, I had occurrences of kidney stones made specifically of calcium oxalate. I have read warnings against creatine for those with kidney disease. Kidney stones are not usually called kidney disease. I am considering using creatine, but I am not sure if it would cause a problem. Are there any reports of increased kidney stone activity in users of the creatine supplement?
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Anemia Parameters And Use Of Esa And Iron
According to the K-DOQI and the European Best Practices Guidelines , anemia was present in 51.3% and 30.5% of the total subjects, respectively. The mean hemoglobin for the cohort as a whole was 12.8 g/dL and the majority of patients had hemoglobin greater than 11 g/dL . The percentage of patients with severe anemia was 1.6% and the percentage of patients with hemoglobin between 9 and 11 g/dL was 11.5%. About 25% of the total cohort was receiving ESA and the mean hemoglobin in this group while receiving this therapy was 12 ± 1.5 g/dL and the range was wide . The mean ferritin level was 150 ng/mL and the percentage of patients with transferrin saturation < 20% was 26.3%. The percentage of patients on oral and IV iron supplementation were 31.9% and 3.0%, respectively.
Table 5 Anemia parameters and the use of ESA and iron
The mean hemoglobin was significantly lower in stage 4 when compared to stage 3 CKD patients . The percentage of patients with hemoglobin greater than 11 g/dL was significantly higher in stage 3 than stage 4 CKD patients . Conversely, the percentage of patients with hemoglobin < 9 g/dL was significantly lower in stage 3 than stage 4 CKD patients . No significant differences were noted in the percentage of patients with hemoglobin between 9 and 11 g/dL between CKD stage 3 and 4 patients .
Figure 3
Percentage of CKD stage 3 and 4 patients with hemoglobin less than 11 as a function of GFR.
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Unexplained decrease in estimated GFR > 30 percent over four months |
Common Tests To Help Diagnose Kidney Disease
Lab work, urine samples, and other tests may be completed as you undergo diagnosis and treatment for renal failure. The test results will be used to assist the healthcare team in evaluating your kidney function and determining the best care plan for you.Remember, you are in control and you are your own best healthcare advocate, so it is essential for you to understand what these tests mean. Note that there can be some differences in these values from one lab to another, so make sure you learn the normal values for your lab. Lets get started.
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Complications Of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to that of a pearl or even larger. They can be smooth or jagged, and are usually yellow or brown. A large stone may get stuck in the urinary system. This can block the flow of urine and may cause strong pain.
Kidney stones can cause permanent kidney damage. Stones also increase the risk of urinary and kidney infection, which can result in germs spreading into the bloodstream.