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Are you older than 50? Then your chance of a kidney condition is higher, even if you have no symptoms yet. A creatinine test helps to check how healthy your kidneys are.[1]
On this page you can read what creatinine is, what the guidelines say about a level that is too low or too high, what affects your level and which other levels are best looked at alongside it.
Also known as: creatinine in blood, serum creatinine, kidney function. At the lab: CREAP.
Creatinine is a normal waste product in your body. It forms when you use your muscles and some of the muscle tissue is broken down.[1]
Normally, your kidneys filter creatinine out of your blood. Your body removes it through your urine. If your kidneys work less well, creatinine can build up in your blood. Less of it then ends up in your urine.[1]
Creatinine in your blood can be measured on its own. It can also be part of a group of tests that is often requested during a routine check-up.[1]
With a creatinine test, a healthcare provider checks how healthy your kidneys are. The test also helps to follow how a level changes during your care. And to see whether medicines are affecting your kidneys.[1]
A long-term kidney condition often causes no symptoms at first. Your chance is higher if you have high blood pressure, smoke, are overweight, have a heart condition, are older than 50 or if kidney problems run in your family.[1]
Creatinine on its own is not the best way to assess your kidneys. How much creatinine you make depends on your muscle mass, what you eat, your age and how active you are.[1]
A normal result also does not always mean your kidneys are healthy. In the early stage of a kidney condition, your creatinine can still stay within the normal range.[1]
Labplusarts, the laboratory BioProfile works with, uses a reference value of 62 to 106 umol/l for creatinine (CREAP). The lab calls a level between those limits normal.[2]
| Value | What it can mean | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 62 to 106 umol/l[2] | The lab calls a value between these limits normal | The lab gives one range, with no separate group |
Source: Labplusarts, the laboratory's reference value for creatinine (CREAP).[2]
You make less creatinine if you have less muscle mass. A low level can point to a loss of muscle mass, for example due to age, illness or the loss of an arm or leg.[1]
If your kidneys aren't working as well as they should, creatinine can build up in your blood. So a high level can point to a problem with your kidneys. A lot of muscle mass or eating meat can also raise your level.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
Meat can raise your creatinine for a short time. That's why your healthcare provider may ask you not to eat meat for 24 hours before the test.[1]
How much creatinine you make depends on how much muscle you have, your age and how active you are. If you are healthy, your level usually stays fairly stable.[1]
Some medicines and supplements can affect your result. Tell your healthcare provider about everything you take. Don't stop taking a medicine unless your healthcare provider tells you to.[1]
Your creatinine goes up and down over the course of the day. That is why urine for this test is sometimes collected over a whole day.[1]
Creatinine is included in BioProfile 77, 98, 121 and 150.[3]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 7 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 7 October 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to check this page; after that check, the expert's name and the date of the check will appear at the top. This page explains and does not give a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
