Creatinine level is required to check the functioning of kidney. Creatine is a protein building block required by the muscles for performing various body activities.
The ability of the kidney to perform its function in health and disease can be estimated by the measurement of ‘ creatinine clearance’.
Low Creatinine Clearance
The term ‘clearance’ does not imply the complete removal of creatinine from the blood. It is an arbitrary, but quantitatively valid measurement which reflects the amount of creatinine present in the urine to; it’s concentration in the blood over a period of time.
The equation for measurement is C=UV/P.
Where C is the clearance, U is the concentration of creatinine in the urine, P is the concentration of creatinine in blood and Vis the volume of urine in ml secreted per minute.
Normal Creatinine Clearance Levels
Normal value of creatinine in the blood
- Men= 0.8 to 1.2mg/dl
- Women=0.6to 1mg/dl
A fractional difference can vary from lab to lab.
Normal creatinine clearance value
- Mmen= 90 to 145ml/minute
- Women =87 to 106 ml/minute.
Causes Of Low Creatinine Clearance
- Low creatinine clearance cause: it is an indication of kidney damage. It can be due to septicemia, cancer, cirrhosis of liver, cancer, decreased blood flow to kidney.
- High creatinine clearance cause: muscular exercise, muscle injury, burns, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, gas poisoning.
- A low creatinine clearance and high blood creatinine level is seen if the kidneys are not functioning normally.
Low creatinine clearance treatment depends on how far the kidney is affected. It is the nephrologist who will decide the course of treatment after analyzing the condition of the patient. Salt restriction diet is advised.