Top Causes of High Creatinine in the Body

Posted on: Jun 24, 2025 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Top Causes of High Creatinine in the Body

When you use your muscles for your daily activities, or when your tissues break down during natural processes, your body produces a waste product called creatinine. This is excreted through the urine. When your urine tests show high creatine levels, it may indicate an underlying kidney issue.

Creatine is measured in two units – micromoles per litre (mcmol/l) and milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl). Doctors consider the following numbers to be the normal ranges of creatinine in people:

• Women – 45-90 mcmol/l or 0.5 to 1 mg/dl

• Men – 60-110 mcmol/l or 0.7 to 1.2 mg/dl

Causes of High Creatinine

The common causes of high creatinine are:

• Kidney infections (pyelonephritis)

These bacterial infections can happen in one or both kidneys. Pregnant women and people diagnosed with bladder cancer are prone to these infections.

• Kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis)

The glomeruli (filters in the kidney) are inflamed or scarred in this case, which impacts the kidney's functionality. This happens due to the thickening of blood vessels.

• Kidney stones

This occurs due to mineral buildup in the kidneys. Small stones may not be a problem, but as they grow bigger, they can block the urinary tract, affecting the kidneys' filtration capacity.

• Kidney failure

When kidney ailments like stones, inflammation and infections are not diagnosed and treated on time, it can lead to a total failure of the kidneys.

Other reasons that may contribute to a temporary spike in your creatinine levels are:

• Pregnancy complications –

In conditions of complications during pregnancy (preeclampsia, for example), the functionality of the kidneys is impacted

• Dehydration –

Lack of water in your body affects the filtration capacity of your kidneys, and leads to the excess buildup of creatinine in the blood

• Excessive consumption of protein or nutritional supplements –

Mostly, this doesn’t indicate a problem with the kidneys, but a high rate of protein metabolism.

• Intense physical exercise –

When you exercise a lot, it leads to a rapid breakdown of muscle tissue. Thus, an increased quantity of creatinine is secreted into your blood.

• Medicines –

These include a few antibiotics and H2 blockers.

• Pre-existing health ailments –

People diagnosed with diabetes, cardiac issues and hypertension can have high creatinine levels in their blood.

Conclusion

When you notice any changes in the colour, frequency and texture of your urine, seek medical help immediately and get a creatinine test done. This way, the kidney problem and other complications can be diagnosed early.

Always remember to buy health insurance for yourself and your family to cover your medical costs associated with the creatinine tests and related treatment procedures.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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