Creatinine is a waste product of muscle metabolism that is used during muscle contraction. Creatinine is produced by creatine, which is an important molecule in muscle that functions to produce energy.
Before it is excreted from the body through urine, creatine must first be filtered by the kidneys. Serum creatinine concentration levels should not change if kidney function is working properly.
If the kidneys have problems, creatinine levels can rise and accumulate in the blood. As a result, various diseases of the kidneys and other urinary system (urology) can also appear.
Therefore, screening is needed to test creatinine levels, both in the blood and urine. That way, you can find out how well your kidneys function in filtering or commonly called glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
Creatinine testing serves to test the ability of the kidneys to filter blood and urine. When kidney function is disturbed, the rate of kidney cleansing will also be disturbed.
The creatinine test is usually also performed in conjunction with other kidney function tests, including the blood urea level (BUN) test. Therefore, a creatinine test is often recommended when a person performs a routine examination.