The creatinine blood test measures the level of creatinine in the blood. This test is done to see how well your kidneys work.

A normal result is 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL for women.

Women usually have a lower creatinine level than men. This is because women usually have less muscle mass than men.

The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

What Abnormal Results Mean

• Possible blocked urinary tract
• Kidney problems, such as kidney damage or failure, infection, or reduced blood flow
• Loss of body fluid (dehydration)
• Muscle problems, such as breakdown of muscle fibers (rhabdomyolysis)
• Problems during pregancy, such as seizures (eclampsia), or high blood pressure caused by pregnancy (preeclampsia)

Lower than normal level may be due to

• Conditions involving the muscles and the nerves that control them (myasthenia gravis)
• Muscle problems, such as late stage muscle loss (muscular dystrophy)

There are many other conditions for which the test may be ordered, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or medication overdose. Your health care provider will tell you more, if needed.