Creatinine defintion - Creatinine is creatine anhydride, C4H7N3O, formed by the metabolism of creatine (a compound made of three amino acids) that is found in muscle tissue and blood. Creatinine is excreted in the urine as a metabolic waste. Elevated blood levels of creatinine indicate that the kidneys are not able to eliminate fast enough.

Causes of High Creatinine
Creatine use as a supplement

Dehydration
Diabetes
Drugs particularly chemotherapy medicines such as cisplatin

Kidney disease
 

Diabetic Nephropathy
Creatinine levels are elevated in patients who have diabetic nephropathy. Management of hypertension is the mainstay of prevention and treatment of diabetic renal disease. Tight blood pressure control slows renal disease progression in established diabetic nephropathy.

Creatinine elevation due to Contrast Material
The administration of iodinated contrast media is integral to many cardiovascular procedures. While it is clear that contrast media provide significant diagnostic benefit, there is some risk of contrast medium-related adverse events in a small percentage of patients. Potentially the most serious complication associated with the use of iodinated contrast agents is contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Most patients undergoing contrast-enhanced radiographic procedures are not at risk for CIN, however subjects with pre-existing renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, or cardiovascular disease receiving intra-arterial administrations of contrast material are at increased risk. Typically, patients with CIN will experience changes in serum creatinine 1-5 days following contrast exposure.

Reliable serum creatinine measurements in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation are critical to ongoing global public health efforts to increase the diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Creatinine Research
Acacia gum supplementation of a low-protein diet in children with end-stage renal disease.
Pediatr Nephrol. 2004 Oct;19(10):1156-9. Epub 2004 Aug 4.
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) die in the absence of renal replacement therapy (RRT). In developing countries RRT is not uniformly available and treatment often relies on conservative management and intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD). This study investigates the possibility of using acacia gum supplementation to improve the quality of life and provide children with ESRD with a dialysis-free period. Three patients referred to our hospital with ESRD during a 3-month period were enrolled in a therapeutic trial to investigate the efficacy of acacia gum (1 g/kg per day in divided doses) as a complementary conservative measure aimed at improving the quality of life. Inclusion criteria included a pre-dialysis creatinine clearance of <5 ml/min, current dietary restrictions and supplementation, at least one dialysis session to control uremic symptoms. One patient complied with the protocol for only 10 days and died after 6 months, despite IPD. Two patients completed the study. Both reported improved well-being. Neither became acidotic or uremic, and neither required dialysis during the study period. Both patients maintained urinary creatinine and urea levels not previously achieved without dialysis.

Creatinine questions
Q. I have elevated creatinine level at 1.4 from my lab report. Is there anything I can do to bring this down?
     A. There are many reasons why creatinine levels are elevated. Your doctor needs to do a complete medical exam and blood work.