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Kidney

Creatinine: what the waste product from the muscles says about the kidneys, with normal values by age

Creatine is a substance that, according to the Dutch Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (NVKC), plays a part in the energy muscles need to work, and creatinine is the waste product left over when creatine is broken down in the muscles. The kidneys remove creatinine from the blood, after which the body loses it in the urine.

If the kidneys work less well, or receive less blood through dehydration, heart failure or shock, creatinine can rise according to the NVKC; according to the NVKC, a low value is usually no reason for concern. Only a blood test shows how much creatinine is in the blood.

For adults aged 19 to 50, Star-SHL and Unilabs give 61 to 113 µmol/l for men, and 46 to 91 µmol/l (Star-SHL) or 48 to 91 µmol/l (Unilabs) for women. Certe gives 50 to 110 µmol/l for men and 50 to 90 µmol/l for women above 18, and Diagnostiek voor U 64 to 104 µmol/l for men and 49 to 90 µmol/l for women above 16.

Doctor's Assessment Included

Creatinine is a waste product from the muscles that the kidneys filter out of the blood and pass into the urine. For adults up to 50, the upper limit at the four laboratories is 90 or 91 µmol/l for women and between 104 and 113 µmol/l for men.

  • Creatinine depends on muscle mass, so men usually have higher values than women and children.
  • The eGFR, an estimate of how well the kidneys filter, is calculated from creatinine, age and sex; according to the UK NICE guideline, an eGFR below 60 in an adult not tested before is repeated within 2 weeks.
  • The UK NICE guideline advises eating no meat in the 12 hours before a creatinine test.

Reference Ranges

See the value that applies to you:

Choose male or female — this range differs by sex.

Enter your age — this range changes with age.

This range also depends on context such as cycle phase or sample material; the highlighted rows apply to your group.

Your reference range
umol/l
38 149 umol/l
Reference ranges by group, in umol/l
Male · 6–12 years 38–63 umol/l
38 63
Male · 13–18 years 48–101 umol/l
48 101
Male · 19–50 years 61–113 umol/l
61 113
Male · 51–65 years 61–120 umol/l
61 120
Male · 66–80 years 62–134 umol/l
62 134
Male · 81 years and older 65–149 umol/l
65 149
Female · 6–12 years 38–65 umol/l
38 65
Female · 13–18 years 46–83 umol/l
46 83
Female · 19–50 years 48–91 umol/l
48 91
Female · 51–65 years 48–99 umol/l
48 99
Female · 66–80 years 48–113 umol/l
48 113
Female · 81 years and older 49–132 umol/l
49 132
38 149 umol/l

Source: NVKC Reference population: Dutch general-practice population (NUMBER, n = 7,574,327)

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

Check your own value

Creatinine: what Dutch laboratories use

Reference ranges by group, in umol/l
Star-shl · Male · 19–50 years 61–113 µmol/l
61 113
Star-shl · Female · 19–50 years 46–91 µmol/l
46 91
Star-shl · Male · 51–65 years 61–120 µmol/l
61 120
Star-shl · Female · 51–65 years 48–99 µmol/l
48 99
Star-shl · Male · 66–80 years 62–134 µmol/l
62 134
Star-shl · Female · 66–80 years 48–113 µmol/l
48 113
Star-shl · Male · 81 years and older 65–149 µmol/l
65 149
Star-shl · Female · 81 years and older 49–132 µmol/l
49 132
Unilabs · Male · 19–50 years 61–113 µmol/l
61 113
Unilabs · Female · 19–50 years 48–91 µmol/l
48 91
Unilabs · Male · 51–65 years 61–120 µmol/l
61 120
Unilabs · Female · 51–65 years 48–99 µmol/l
48 99
Unilabs · Male · 66–80 years 62–134 µmol/l
62 134
Unilabs · Female · 66–80 years 48–113 µmol/l
48 113
Unilabs · Male · 81 years and older 65–149 µmol/l
65 149
Unilabs · Female · 81 years and older 49–132 µmol/l
49 132
Certe · Male · 18 years and older 50–110 umol/L
50 110
Certe · Female · 18 years and older 50–90 umol/L
50 90
Diagnostiek voor U · Male · 17 years and older 64–104 µmol/L
64 104
Diagnostiek voor U · Female · 17 years and older 49–90 µmol/L
49 90
0 163.9 umol/l

Source: Star-shl

Source: Unilabs

Source: Certe

Source: Diagnostiek voor U

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

Creatinine: what this test measures

The creatinine test measures the concentration of creatinine in serum or plasma in micromoles per litre (µmol/l). Star-SHL and Unilabs measure enzymatically, and from age 18 Star-SHL automatically calculates the eGFR, an estimate of kidney filtering based on creatinine, age and sex.

Creatinine: why this value matters

According to the NVKC, creatinine has to be removed from the blood by the kidneys, and a raised value can come from an inflammation in the kidney, damage to kidney cells from a harmful substance or a medicine, an autoimmune disease or blocked urine flow from prostate disease or kidney stones, according to the NVKC. The amount also depends on body height and muscle mass, so that men usually have higher values than women and children, according to the NVKC.

Creatinine: how the blood test works

Referral
No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
The draw
A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Which test
Kidney checkup · €69,- · Heart checkup · €209,- · General checkup · €199,-
Where
650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

Creatinine: how to prepare

  1. Better no hard training beforehand

    Recommended

    Hard exercise in the 48 hours before can raise this value temporarily. Plan the draw on a rest day if you can.

  • Water is always fine. Drink as usual beforehand, it makes the draw easier.
  • Take your usual medication, unless your own doctor told you otherwise.

Creatinine: when is testing worthwhile?

According to the NVKC, creatinine is requested to gain insight into how the kidneys work, often together with other tests, also in healthy people during a medical or check-up. With an acute illness such as a kidney infection or a chronic illness such as diabetes, the creatinine test can follow the course of the disease and the effect of treatment, according to the NVKC.

Creatinine: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

According to the NVKC, a low creatinine is usually no reason for concern. All situations in which muscle mass decreases, such as staying in bed for a long time, the amputation of an arm or leg, or old age, go together with less creatinine, according to the NVKC, and a slight decrease can occur during pregnancy.

High Levels

A high creatinine can fit kidney damage, and according to Thuisarts, kidney damage that is not yet serious often goes unnoticed. With serious kidney damage, Thuisarts names symptoms such as itching, nausea, less appetite, headache, tiredness and sleeping badly or a lot, and fluid retention, for example in the legs.

According to a 2026 review, creatinine can also rise without the kidneys working worse, through creatine supplements, a lot of meat or testosterone.

Creatinine: causes of a low or high value

What lowers the value

  • Low muscle mass

    With less muscle mass, such as with long bed rest, after an amputation or at an old age, creatinine falls; a low value is usually no reason for concern.

  • Pregnancy

    During pregnancy, creatinine can be slightly lower.

What raises the value

  • Kidneys that work less well

    A kidney infection, damage to the kidneys from a toxic substance or a medicine, an autoimmune disease, or blocked urine flow from prostate disease or kidney stones can raise creatinine.

  • Less blood to the kidneys

    Dehydration, heart failure or shock reduce blood flow to the kidneys, and that can raise creatinine.

  • Much muscle mass or muscle damage

    How much creatinine the body makes depends on height and muscle mass, and muscle damage, for example from an accident, raises creatinine temporarily.

  • Meat, creatine or testosterone

    Creatine supplements, a lot of meat and testosterone can raise creatinine without the kidneys working worse; in one trial in healthy adult men, creatinine rose by 52 percent within 1.5 to 3.5 hours after 225 grams of cooked meat, and the rise lasted up to 24 hours.

  • The antibiotic trimethoprim

    Trimethoprim blocks the kidneys' secretion of creatinine, so that creatinine rises while kidney filtering stays the same.

Creatinine: lifestyle and this value

A raised creatinine is one to discuss with your GP. According to Thuisarts, kidney damage can come from high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and overweight, among others, and the more of those causes, the greater the chance of damage to blood vessels and kidneys.

Creatinine: frequently asked questions

Is kreatinine the same as creatinine?

Yes, kreatinine is the Dutch name for creatinine, as the NVKC and Unilabs list it.

Why do men have a higher creatinine than women?

According to the NVKC, men usually have a higher creatinine than women, because the amount the body makes depends on body height and muscle mass. Star-SHL, Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U give separate values for men and women.

What is cystatin C?

Cystatin C is a substance that, according to the NVKC, is formed in almost all body cells, and that is requested when the creatinine test does not give good information, such as with liver cirrhosis, very obese people, malnutrition or little muscle mass.

Creatinine: sources

  1. den Elzen WPJ, Brouwer N, Thelen MH, Le Cessie S, Haagen I-A, Cobbaert CM. NUMBER: standardized reference intervals in the Netherlands using a 'big data' approach. Clin Chem Lab Med 2018;57(1):42-56. (retrieved 2026) doi.org
  2. Star-shl, Labbepalingen (referentiewaarden per bepaling), star-shl.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) star-shl.nl
  3. Unilabs, Bepalingenklapper (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenklapper.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenklapper.nl
  4. Certe, Bepalingenwijzer (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl
  5. Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
  6. NVKC, Alles over testen: Kreatinine, allesovertesten.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-12 (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl
  7. Jiang R, et al. Overview of pseudo-acute kidney injury. Ren Fail 2026;48(1):2650028. (retrieved 2026) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. Delanaye P, et al. Trimethoprim, creatinine and creatinine-based equations. Nephron Clin Pract 2011;119(3):c187-193. (retrieved 2026) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Test Products

This marker is included in the following test panels.

Heart & vessels

Heart checkup

An extensive blood test with 12 heart and vessel values — the full cholesterol profile, Apo(B), Lp(a), hsCRP, homocysteine and blood sugar — for insight into your heart and vessel health.

Total Cholesterol LDL Cholesterol HDL Cholesterol Non-HDL Cholesterol Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Triglycerides ApoB (Apolipoprotein B) Lipoprotein(a) hs-CRP (High Sensitivity CRP) Glucose (Fasting) HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) Creatinine eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) LDL/HDL Ratio
€209,-
General checkup

General checkup

A broad blood test covering 18 values across liver, kidneys, thyroid, heart, vitamins and blood count.

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) GGT (Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase) Creatinine eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Total Cholesterol HDL Cholesterol LDL Cholesterol Triglycerides Glucose (Fasting) Vitamin D (25-OH) Vitamin B12 Ferritin Hemoglobin Leukocytes (WBC) Platelets (Thrombocytes) CRP (C-Reactive Protein) MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Non-HDL Cholesterol LDL/HDL Ratio
€199,-

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Medical standards

Dr. Naimi oversees the medical standards behind our content and assessments.

Medical policy
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Creatinine

€7,-