Creatinine Clearance

Creatine levels and normal creatinine levels

When you're talking about creatinine clearance, it is usually in the context of the creatine in your blood. The creatine levels in your blood is referred to as creatinine.

Creatinine is a by-product of creatine. Some people like to refer to it as a chemical waste.

It seems there's more to basic creatine than meets the eye. You might have thought that it is just some supplement used by bodybuilders to gain weight and build muscle. However, creatine can also be used to help detect kidney problems.

Here's how it works:

A very small amount of creatinine is produced from the creatine in your body. This happens on a daily basis. Everyday creatinine transfers through your blood and into your kidneys.

This molecule becomes important when checking your blood creatine levels. High creatinine levels in your blood can be an indication of kidney failure.

What does creatine clearance refer to?

The clearance usually refers to a test which measures your creatine levels. It calculates the amount of creatinine that is removed through your kidneys. This is called a creatinie clearance test.

There is also just a basic blood creatine test which measures the amount of creatinine in your blood stream. The clearance test is more accurate because it also measures the amount of creatinine released through your urine.

These tests can indicate how well your kidneys are working.