Creatinine
Serum creatinine is consistently higher in males than females because of greater average muscle mass, and population levels rise gradually with age as kidney function declines and chronic disease becomes more common.
Unit: mg/dL · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Renal Function , Metabolic Panel · topics: Metabolic , Renal
Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate in muscle and is one of the standard markers on a chemistry panel used to assess kidney function. These percentiles reflect the full US population rather than a screened healthy subgroup, so they include people with chronic kidney disease and other comorbidities. Note: 1 mg/dL is approximately 88.4 umol/L.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (mg/dL) | female (mg/dL) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 0.7–1.2 (0.9) | 0.5–0.9 (0.7) |
| 30-39 | 0.7–1.2 (0.9) | 0.5–0.9 (0.7) |
| 40-49 | 0.7–1.2 (0.9) | 0.5–1 (0.7) |
| 50-59 | 0.7–1.3 (1) | 0.5–1 (0.7) |
| 60-69 | 0.7–1.4 (1) | 0.6–1.1 (0.8) |
| 70+ | 0.7–1.7 (1) | 0.6–1.4 (0.8) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is creatinine higher in males than females?
Creatinine production is driven largely by skeletal muscle mass. Because adult males have higher average lean mass than females, the whole population distribution is shifted upward at every age band.
Why does creatinine rise with age?
Aging is associated with declining kidney function, more comorbidity, and a larger burden of chronic kidney disease. Those factors pull the upper half of the population distribution upward in later decades.
How do I convert mg/dL to umol/L?
Multiply by 88.4. For example, 1.00 mg/dL is approximately 88 umol/L.