Serum Creatinine Test Results

Serum creatinine levels can vary according to a person's size, muscle mass and gender. Women have lower serum creatinine levels than men because they have less muscle mass. Serum creatinine test results can also vary depending on the laboratory performing the test and which lab method was used.

Typical serum creatinine ranges are 0.5 to 1.0 milligrams per deciliter for women and 0.7 to 1.2 mg/dl for men. A serum creatinine level of 2.0 mg/dl may indicate normal kidney function in a male bodybuilder, but 0.7 mg/dl can indicate significant renal disease in a frail old woman. The ability to look at changing levels over time is more informative for patients and doctors than is a single measurement at one point in time. For example, a serum creatinine level of 1 mg/dl might be considered normal -- unless it recently increased from 0.6, which would make it very abnormal.

The following conditions may cause serum creatinine levels to be higher than normal:

  • Kidneys that aren't functioning normally
  • A block in the flow of urine (such as with an enlarged prostate gland or a kidney stone)
  • A kidney infection
  • Heart failure
  • Dehydration
  • Decreased blood flow to the kidneys
  • High blood pressure during pregnancy

The following conditions may cause serum creatinine levels to be lower than normal:

  • A muscle disease, such as myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy
  • A diet with too little protein
The links on the next page will give you more information about kidney disease and heart disease.

How are kidney disease and
heart disease linked?
The increased risk of heart disease is evident in patients with kidney disease, and heart disease is the major cause of death among patients with severe (end-stage) kidney disease. A recent study reported that most patients hospitalized with acute heart failure have significant kidney disease. Increased serum creatinine level and high blood pressure are both factors that increase the risk of both heart disease and kidney disease.

Kidney disease and heart disease are both often characterized by symptoms that can contribute to an increased risk of the other.

Symptoms of kidney disease that are risk factors for heart disease:

  • High blood pressure
  • Abnormalities in the composition of blood, such as imbalances in electrolytes or changes in blood lipids (fats like cholesterol and triglycerides)

Symptoms of heart disease that are risk factors for kidney disease:

  • Severe high blood pressure
  • Sodium and water retention
  • Reduction in heart function

Some drugs that are commonly used to treat patients with heart failure (like diuretics and angiotensin-conververting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors) can affect kidney function. Patients taking these drugs should have serum creatinine tests to check their kidney function.