Creatinine
The single most useful kidney number. Tracked on blood-pressure and diabetes medication, and before any scan with contrast
Also known as Serum creatinine, Kidney creatinine
₹119/-Free collection on orders above ₹500/-
- Reports within
- 8 hours
- Parameter included
- 01see list
- Sample
- 3 to choose from
- Fasting
- Not needed
- Measures
- Creatinine level in the blood
- Identifies
- Reduced kidney function, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease
Collected at home
A trained phlebotomist visits at a time you pick, from the next hour
Sealed single-use kit
Opened in front of you, and carried to the lab under controlled conditions
Report within 8 hours
On WhatsApp and email, with any value outside the normal range highlighted
What is the Creatinine test?
Creatinine is a waste product made by your muscles at a steady rate and cleared from the blood by the kidneys. A serum creatinine test measures how much is left circulating, in mg/dL. If the kidneys slow down, creatinine builds up, which makes it the most widely used single measure of kidney function.
The value is most useful in context. A muscular young man naturally runs higher than a slim elderly woman, so labs and doctors convert creatinine into an estimated filtration rate (eGFR) using age and sex. A rising creatinine over months means the kidneys are losing ground, most often from diabetes or high blood pressure. A sudden jump can follow dehydration, a painkiller, or a contrast dye, so hospitals check it before a CT scan with contrast.
No fasting is needed. The sample is collected at home and the report arrives in 8 hours.
Creatinine parameters1 measured
Creatinine
0.7–1.3 mg/dL
A waste product from muscle that healthy kidneys clear steadily, rising as kidney function falls and varying with muscle mass and hydration
Reference ranges are the lab's defaults for adults and are printed on the report beside every value
How to prepare
- No fasting is needed.
- Avoid heavy exercise and large meat meals for 24 hours before the sample; both can raise creatinine briefly.
- Drink normally; do not restrict fluids.
- Take regular medicines as usual and tell the phlebotomist what you take.
Who should take it
Everyone with diabetes or high blood pressure, at least once a year. Anyone about to have a CT or MRI with contrast, or an angiography. People taking ACE inhibitors, ARBs, diuretics, metformin, lithium or regular NSAID painkillers. Anyone over 60, or with a family history of kidney disease. People with swelling of the feet or face, foamy urine, reduced urine output or unexplained fatigue. Kidney transplant recipients and people with known kidney disease, on the schedule their doctor sets.
Before the visit
Tell your doctor about creatine supplements, high-protein diets, NSAID painkillers, antibiotics such as cotrimoxazole, and any recent dehydration or vomiting. Very low muscle mass can make creatinine look normal even when the kidneys are struggling.
Why take the Creatinine test?
- Diabetes or high blood pressure: These cause most kidney failure in India, and a creatinine every six to twelve months catches it early.
- Before a contrast scan: Radiology departments need a recent creatinine before injecting contrast dye.
- Blood pressure and diabetes medicines: ACE inhibitors, ARBs, metformin and SGLT2 tablets all need kidney function checked before and during use.
- Painkillers: Regular NSAIDs such as diclofenac or ibuprofen can quietly damage the kidneys.
- Swelling, tiredness or reduced urine: Common symptoms of kidney trouble that a creatinine can explain.
Questions about the Creatinine test
What is a creatinine test used for?
It is the standard measure of how well the kidneys are filtering. Doctors use it to screen people with diabetes and high blood pressure, to check kidney safety before contrast scans and while on certain medicines, and to follow known kidney disease.
Do I need to fast for a creatinine test?
No fasting is needed. Avoid a heavy meat meal and strenuous exercise for 24 hours before, as both can raise creatinine briefly, and drink fluids normally.
What sample is taken and how does home collection work?
A small blood sample from the arm. A trained phlebotomist comes to your home with a sealed single-use kit, collects the sample in a few minutes and takes it to the lab.
What is the normal creatinine range?
0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL. Muscular people sit at the upper end and slim or elderly people at the lower end, so doctors usually convert the value into an eGFR using your age and sex before deciding what it means.
What does a high creatinine mean?
The kidneys are clearing waste more slowly. A gradual rise over months suggests chronic kidney disease, usually from diabetes or high blood pressure. A sudden rise can follow dehydration, painkillers, an infection or contrast dye and is often reversible. Your doctor will repeat the test, check urine protein and may order an ultrasound.
Who should get a creatinine test and how often?
Everyone with diabetes or high blood pressure at least once a year. Anyone on ACE inhibitors, ARBs, diuretics, metformin, lithium or regular NSAID painkillers, as their doctor schedules. Anyone before a contrast scan, and people with known kidney disease every few months.
How long does the creatinine report take?
8 hours from collection. The report arrives on WhatsApp and email. If the test is for a contrast scan, the radiology department usually wants a value from the last month or so.
Can painkillers raise my creatinine?
Yes. NSAIDs such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and nimesulide reduce blood flow to the kidneys, and regular use can raise creatinine, especially in older people and those on blood pressure tablets. Tell your doctor which painkillers you take and how often; paracetamol is usually the safer choice for the kidneys.
What is eGFR and why is it on my report?
eGFR is the estimated filtration rate, calculated from your creatinine, age and sex. It is the number doctors use to stage kidney function: above 90 is normal, and below 60 for three months or more means chronic kidney disease. It makes creatinine comparable between a young man and an elderly woman.
Commonly tested together
Often on the same prescription
What happens after you book
- A phlebotomist is assigned and reaches you in your chosen slot, as soon as the next hour
- The sample is collected with a sealed single-use kit and moved on a cold chain
- The report lands on WhatsApp and email within 8 hours