Cardiovascular Disease - Bloody Good
Kidney Health

Creatinine

Monitor your kidney health and function with our Creatinine Blood Test. This essential marker provides crucial insights into how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood, helping detect kidney disease early and guide treatment decisions.

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Creatinine

Want to ensure your kidneys are filtering waste effectively, monitoring medication effects, or maintaining optimal kidney function for long-term health?

Overview

Think of creatinine as your kidney’s report card—it shows how well these hardworking organs are clearing waste from your blood. Your muscles release a small, steady trickle of creatinine every time they recycle energy. Although this production stays fairly constant day-to-day for each person, it does differ from one individual to another based on muscle mass, age, and sex. In healthy kidneys, creatinine is swiftly filtered out of the bloodstream and sent into the urine, so the amount left in your blood becomes a convenient snapshot of kidney function.

When blood creatinine starts to inch upward, it’s a quiet alarm that your kidneys may be falling behind. That’s important because kidney problems usually develop silently—people often feel fine while damage is happening in the background. Persistently elevated creatinine can point to chronic kidney disease, diabetes- or blood-pressure–related kidney damage, or side effects from certain medications. Because the test is quick, inexpensive, and largely unaffected by short-term changes in diet or exercise, it’s a staple of routine blood work that helps catch kidney trouble early, when treatment is most effective.

Reviewed by Dr. Vu Tran
Bloody Good’s Chief Medical Officer

Symptoms

You may benefit from this test if you experience:
High blood pressure readings Flank pain or back pain related to kidneys Swelling around eyes or face Comprehensive metabolic panel High-protein diet monitoring

Purpose

Essential for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or family history of kidney disease. Important for monitoring medications that can affect kidney function. Valuable for anyone with cardiovascular disease, older adults, and those with risk factors for kidney problems.

How to prepare

No fasting required. Can be taken at any time of day. Inform your healthcare provider about medications, especially those that might affect kidney function. Avoid extremely high protein meals immediately before testing. Stay normally hydrated - don't over-hydrate or become dehydrated before testing.

Understanding results

Normal ranges vary by gender, age, and muscle mass. Men: 70-110 μmol/L (0.8-1.3 mg/dL); Women: 50-90 μmol/L (0.6-1.0 mg/dL). Elevated levels may indicate reduced kidney function, kidney disease, dehydration, or certain medications. Even small increases within the normal range can be significant for kidney function assessment when calculating eGFR.

After the test

Discuss elevated results with your healthcare provider immediately as this may indicate kidney problems requiring further evaluation. Additional testing may include eGFR calculation, urine tests, kidney ultrasound, or referral to a nephrologist. Treatment depends on the underlying cause and may include blood pressure management, diabetes control, medication adjustments, or specific kidney disease treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Elevated creatinine typically indicates that your kidneys aren't filtering waste as effectively as they should. This could suggest kidney disease, dehydration, certain medications, or other conditions affecting kidney function.
  • Yes, certain medications including some antibiotics, blood pressure medications, pain relievers, and diabetes drugs can affect kidney function and creatinine levels. Always inform your doctor about all medications you're taking.
  • eGFR provides a more accurate assessment of kidney function by adjusting creatinine levels for age, gender, race, and body size, giving a better picture of how well your kidneys are working.
  • For people with kidney disease or risk factors, creatinine may be checked every 3-6 months or more frequently. For healthy individuals, annual checking as part of routine screening is often sufficient.
  • Extremely high protein intake or creatine supplements can temporarily raise creatinine, but dietary protein has minimal effect on the test. Normal dietary variations don't significantly impact results.
  • Both measure kidney function, but creatinine is more specific to kidney function while BUN can be affected by hydration, protein intake, and liver function. Creatinine is generally considered more reliable for kidney assessment.
Creatinine

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What to expect

We want you to feel bloody good—inside and out. Regular testing isn’t just about checking your current health; it helps you spot abnormal values you might not know about.

1

Book your referral

Choose the testing that suits your goals. After ordering, you will receive your referral by email.

2

Collect your sample

Easy sample collection at one of our 4000+ partner collection centres throughout Australia. Find nearest

3
Receive your results

Receive your results

View your lab results and receive a personalised review from the secure Bloody Good platform.

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