Low creatinine: causes and recommendations

Creatinine is a waste substance from the blood that is eliminated by the kidneys and expelled through the urine. It is an organic compound that is produced from the breakdown of creatine, a nutrient belonging to the muscles. Therefore, creatinine, when filtered to the kidneys and then eliminated through the urine, allows us to know if our renal organs are functioning and working correctly or, on the contrary, there is some problem that prevents the proper performance of their functions.

Creatinine levels in the blood vary every day depending on the foods we eat, however, to ensure optimal kidney health, it is essential that a blood test shows that creatinine levels remain between following values:

• Normal blood creatinine values ​​in men: between 0.75 and 1.3 mg / dl.
• Normal blood creatinine values ​​in women: between 0.6 and 1.1 mg / dl.

It should be noted that in the case of women, normal blood creatinine values ​​are lower because they have less muscle mass than men.

Although the most common is to have high blood creatinine , which can indicate kidney problems or muscle overexertion, there are also some cases in which the patient has low blood creatinine, but what does it mean to be low in creatinine? Here are the possible causes of low creatinine and in which cases it constitutes a red flag that should be medically evaluated:

Loss of muscle mass

In this case, we speak of a loss of muscle mass as a result of the natural aging process, a sudden weight loss, a dietary deficit or by spending long periods of time in bed or at rest, such as during hospitalization. or after being hospitalized. All this can affect blood creatinine levels causing a slight decrease in them without leading to any major health problems.

Diseases that cause muscle loss

There are some diseases that affect the muscles and nerves that can cause low blood creatinine levels resulting in a loss or reduction of muscle mass. Among these, we find the following:

• Muscular dystrophy: group of inherited diseases that cause weakness in the muscles and loss of muscle mass. All types of muscular dystrophy progressively get worse as a person’s muscles weaken.
• Myasthenia gravis : an autoimmune disease that causes voluntary muscles to weaken due to the immune system itself creating antibodies that modify some of the nerve signals to the muscles, thus causing their deterioration and loss of muscle mass.

Nutrition problems

This low creatinine can also be related to some nutritional problems such as:

• Eat a diet very low in protein: these nutrients are essential for the formation of muscles and their deficiency can cause a lower muscle mass and, therefore, low levels of creatinine in the blood.
• Malnutrition: in cases of malnutrition, the body uses the muscles as a source of energy, which ends up causing them to weaken, not work properly and lose muscle mass.

Low creatinine in pregnancy

During pregnancy, blood creatinine levels may be slightly lower than normal due to increased fluid in the body, which causes all the molecules that circulate in the bloodstream to be diluted. In addition to this, the speed of blood filtration by the kidneys also increases, causing, in turn, the production of urine and the expulsion of creatinine through it are higher.

In cases in which the pregnant woman rests completely during pregnancy, there may also be a loss or decrease in muscle mass that is later reflected in lower levels of creatinine in the blood.

Generally speaking, low blood creatinine can lead to symptoms such as muscle weakness and tissue loss.

However, the symptoms that each person presents will vary depending on what is the cause of low creatinine levels, since each condition or condition will lead to the manifestation of some symptoms or others. In any case, it is important to have a blood test every so often to make sure that our creatinine values ​​are normal and that there is no problem of any kind.

If low creatinine levels are due to a muscle disorder, it is appropriate to follow the treatment indicated by the doctor. However, if it is a deficit in the diet, we can solve it with the following tips:

• Include in the diet foods rich in proteins , especially those of animal origin, such as red meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese and milk.
• Also eat foods high in potassium , such as celery, spinach, potato, orange, banana or nuts.
• We recommend that you perform frequent blood tests to make sure that all the values ​​are correct so that you can keep track of the toxins in the blood.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Low creatinine: causes and recommendations , we recommend that you enter our Kidneys and urinary system category .