How should your creatinine laboratory value be interpreted?
Have you received your creatinine lab result? Is your value too high or too low? Discuss your lab results directly with an online doctor via TeleClinic. The costs are covered by all health insurance companies and insurers.
Is your creatinine lab value too high or too low? Read here what’s really behind it.
The doctor has had your creatinine laboratory value determined and told you that it is too low or too high? A creatinine value that is too low is insignificant from a medical point of view. If the creatinine is too high, this indicates various causes. Your doctor will therefore question and examine you in more detail.
Abstract
- Creatinine is formed as a degradation product of creatine and is excreted by the kidneys.
- The creatinine value can be measured in urine and blood serum.
- A high creatinine concentration may indicate a restriction of kidney function.
What exactly is creatinine?
Creatinine is produced as a metabolic product of creatine. Creatine, which is formed in the liver, pancreas and kidneys, supplies muscle tissue with energy. Creatinine is not necessary for the body and is excreted through the kidneys and urine.
If the creatinine is too low, this has no effect on the organism and your health.
When is creatinine too high?
The normal creatinine value depends on factors such as
- Gender
- Age
- Muscle mass
The doctor will therefore assess your creatinine laboratory values in a reference framework.
| Creatinine normal values in milligrams per deciliter of blood serum | |
|---|---|
| Men | 0,81-1,44 |
| Women | 0,66-1,09 |
| Children up to the age of 12 | 0,4-1,0 |
| Children from 12 to 18 years of age | 0,6-1,4 |
The normal creatinine laboratory value in a morning urine sample is 260 to 2,170 milligrams per liter for women and 390 to 2,590 milligrams per liter for men.
What does a high creatinine laboratory value indicate?
If the creatinine is too high, this may be due to a decline in kidney function. However, a significant increase in the values is only recognizable when the filtering capacity of the kidneys is reduced by at least 50 percent. Therefore, the creatinine laboratory value alone is not suitable for detecting incipient kidney damage. An increased creatinine value can have the following causes:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypothyroidism
- Physical exertion
- Infections
- Taking medication over a longer period of time (acetylsalicylic acid, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics)
An increased creatinine value in the urine can be due to high blood pressure or acromegaly as a disorder of the growth hormones.
Questions & answers about creatinine levels
What does the creatinine level in the blood say?
The creatinine value provides information about kidney function and is measured in urine or blood serum. Creatinine is formed as a degradation product of creatine and is excreted by the kidneys. A high creatinine concentration can indicate a restriction of kidney function or the intake of creatine as a dietary supplement – popular with strength athletes, but not without danger.
When is the creatinine blood level too high?
The reference range for creatinine normal values in healthy women is between 0.66 and 1.09 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl) of serum. For healthy men, 0.81 to 1.44 are considered normal values. Other values apply to children.
What is the normal creatinine level in urine?
Urine creatinine is a laboratory parameter that is not used as a single value, but is relevant in conjunction with other laboratory values. Normal values for 24-hour urine collection tests are 1.5-2.5 g/24h for men and 1.0-1.3 g/24h for women.
Sources
- https://www.internisten-im-netz.de/mediathek/blutbild-erklaerung/kreatinin.html
- http://www.laborlexikon.de/Lexikon/Infoframe/k/Kreatinin_Serum.htm
- https://www.charite.de/fileadmin/user_upload/microsites/m_cc05/ilp/referenzdb/30738.htm
- https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/67175/Niereninsuffizienz-Bestimmung-der-glomerulaeren-Funktion
- https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/188083/Kreatinin-Einfluss-der-Messmethode
Fabian Bohn
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- Zuletzt aktualisiert: 9. June 2026
