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What is a Normal Serum Creatinine Level, and Why is Serum Ferritin Level Checked?

 

Serum Creatinine Meaning and Its Importance

What is a Normal Serum Creatinine Level, and Why is Serum Ferritin Level Checked?

Serum creatinine means the amount of creatinine present in one's body. Creatinine is an unwanted product produced by the body's muscles due to natural fatigue. It circulates in everyone's body along with the blood in the bloodstream. The creatinine blood test determines how much creatinine is present in the blood. This test helps to get a view of the proper functioning of your kidney. Even by doing a urine test, it is possible to determine creatinine levels.

Normal Level of Creatinine
In general, women have less creatinine than men because women are naturally less muscular compared to males. It also infers that the amount of creatinine in a person's blood depends on their size and muscle mass.
Men's serum creatinine normal value ranges from 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL (61.9 to 114.9 mol/L) while women's serum creatinine normal value ranges from 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL (53 to 97.2 mol/L).

The specimens above are typical metrics for these tests' outcomes. Normal ranges may differ slightly between laboratories.

Problems Associated with Abnormal Serum Creatinine Value

Different problems can occur due to high/low creatinine levels.

Higher creatinine value:

  1. Urinary tract obstruction
  2. Kidney issues such as injury or failure, infection, or restricted blood flow
  3. Liquid depletion in the body (dehydration)
  4. Muscle difficulties, such as muscle fiber disintegration (rhabdomyolysis)
  5. Pregnancy complications, such as eclampsia-induced seizures or preeclampsia-induced high blood pressure

Lower creatinine value:

  1. Muscle and nerve disorders that result in a reduction in muscle mass
  2. Malnutrition

Importance of Ferritin

The name ferritin can cause a misunderstanding that it represents the iron in the human body. But ferritin is not the same. On the other hand, ferritin is a protein that acts as a storage unit for iron and releases it when there is a requirement for your body. Ferritin is primarily found in your body's cells, with only a small amount circulating in your bloodstream. Ferritin is preserved in the body's cells until there is a requirement to create additional red blood cells.

A good amount of ferritin is found in the liver cells known as hepatocytes and is called reticuloendothelial cells in the immune system.

Normal ferritin levels:

  • An average man has 20 to 500 nanograms per milliliter
  • An average woman has 20 to 200 nanograms per milliliter

Ferritin Test

The presence of iron in the red blood cells helps transport oxygen to all of your body's cells. Your red blood cells will start malfunctioning, and they won't be able to carry adequate oxygen if you are deficient in iron. An excess of iron can also be hazardous. Elevated serum ferritin levels or low serum ferritin levels are both caused due to some disorder.

If the doctor hypothesizes your issue is associated with iron levels in your body, he may ask you to undergo a ferritin test. This test determines the amount of iron preserved in your body, providing your doctor with a complete perspective of your iron status.

Why is a Serum Ferritin Test Necessary?

By analyzing the level of ferritin in the body, it will be easier for the doctor to diagnose the particular type of disorder that is causing complications in your body.

Low serum ferritin level:

If you experience any of the following signs linked with low ferritin levels, your doctor may recommend a ferritin test:

  • Dizziness
  • Headaches for a long time
  • Inexplicable exhaustion
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Sudden weakness
  • Leg aches
  • Breathing problems
  • Irritability

High serum ferritin level:

Extremely high serum ferritin level is also possible, leading to a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Excess ferritin can cause the following symptoms:

  • Chest aches or palpitations in the heart
  • Inexplicable ailment
  • Stomach ache
  • Inexplicable tiredness and joint pain
  • Damage to the liver and spleen

Conditions that can Cause Low Serum Ferritin Levels

A serum ferritin level that is lower than usual might suggest that you have a deficiency of iron, which can occur if you don't get enough iron from your food.
Anemia, which occurs when there aren't enough red blood cells for iron to bond to, is another disorder that impacts iron levels.

There are also the following conditions:

  • Menstruation bleeding that is extreme
  • Internal bleeding
  • Stomach disorders that impede intestinal absorption

Conditions that can Cause Higher Serum Ferritin Levels

Overly high ferritin levels can suggest a variety of health problems. Obesity, inflammation, and everyday alcohol consumption are the most prevalent reasons for increased ferritin levels. Hemochromatosis is the most pervasive cause of genetically-related high ferritin levels.

The following conditions cause high iron levels:

  • Adult-onset Still's disease
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Diabetes type 2
  • Leukemia
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Regular blood transfusions
  • Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • Liver illnesses, such as chronic hepatitis C
  • Iron toxicity

Acute phase reactants are a function of ferritin. This implies that when the body is inflamed, ferritin levels will rise. That's why persons with liver illness or cancers like Hodgkin's lymphoma might have high ferritin levels.

Liver cells possess a lot of ferritin, for instance. Ferritin begins to seep out of the cells when a person's liver is injured. According to doctors, ferritin levels in persons with these and other inflammatory disorders should be elevated levels than usual.

LDH in Serum

LDH in serum refers to an enzyme called Lactate Dehydrogenase. Sugar is converted to energy by the enzyme. You can perform an LDH test to determine how much LDH is present in your blood.
This enzyme is discharged into the liquid part of blood when cells are injured or killed. This is referred to as serum or plasma. LDH can also get into other bodily fluids, such as the cerebrospinal fluid, which encases your brain and spinal cord. When there are creatinine or ferritin abnormalities, an LDH test is also done.

Conclusion

We need to maintain healthy habits to have a healthy body. In case of any abnormalities, we have to check with a physician as soon as possible. At times, we tend to neglect our issues, which can lead to a life-threatening situation. Getting regular checkups done to keep ourselves updated about our body is also one way of keeping ourselves free from ailments or taking the necessary action in advance.