What is the significance of a slightly elevated creatine kinase blood test presumed not cardiac related?

(November 14, 2011)

How to lower creatine kinase levels?

Creatine kinase levels, also known simply as CK, are primarily readings of the enzyme creatine kinase that is primarily found in muscle cells as well as the heart, striated muscles and the brain. Creatine levels in a specific person are identified through a blood test performed on a sample of the blood extracted from the vein of the patient.

Normal creatine kinase levels range from between 38 to 174 units /L in men and between 96 – 140 units/L in women. The higher range value in men is primarily because a man’s body typically has more muscle mass than that of a woman.  There are no sure home remedies that you could follow if you want to lower creatine levels. However the first thing is to inform your doctor and seek medical help for your condition. Besides this, careful attention should be given to your diet and the foods you eat. Alcohol should be avoided at all costs. Avoid foods like salmon and lean meats that are high in creatine. Include soy, legumes and beans in your diet. Besides this you may have to stop taking any medication that you may be on. However do this only after consultation with your doctor.  Low creatine kinase levels are a healthier result given that elevated results are usually the result of muscle damage or strain. Elevated creatine kinase levels are found in tests performed just after a heart attack.

What are the causes of elevated creatine kinase?

Amongst the chief causes of elevated creatine kinase levels in the body are the effects of a heart attack – mild or strong. Creatine kinase, more commonly known as CK, is an enzyme that is present in all muscle tissue of the body including the heart and the brain. The normal creatine kinase levels in a man are between 38 and 174 units/L; while a woman’s creatine kinase levels range from between 96 to 140 units/L. The larger range in men is primarily because of the generally higher muscle mass in the male body.

Any kind of muscle strains are the primary causes of elevated creatine kinase levels. This is primarily the reason that when a person complains of serious and significant chest pains, a creatine kinase test is performed in order to identify if the individual has just been through a heart attack. The creatine kinase test is performed through simple method of a normal blood test on a sample of blood that has been extracted through the patient’s vein.  The test can also indicate if your muscles have suffered from any significantly heavy use. In the event that the CK counts are very high, you may be instructed to perform some other, more specific tests in order to identify if the heart muscle has been damaged.

Creatine kinase is an enzyme that is present in all the muscles of the body and is a catalyst in the energy conversion process. Creatine kinase used in the body  are of two types– for the muscles and for the brain. Any testing to check their levels will therefore have to factor in this difference and most will have a CKM or CKB test. Elevated levels of the enzyme, or any levels of it, is usually the first test for cardiac problems. This happens especially if they are corroborated with some other tests like the alanine transaminase test, which is actually a liver function test as well. Since this is a crucial enzyme in the energy conversion process, if it is present in the blood, where it shouldn’t be, it is a sign of the breakdown of muscle or dystrophy.More information on creatine kinase test

Muscular dystrophy can be because of a variety of reasons. There are some genetic reasons of dystrophy like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and its related conditions that are actually genetic in cause. This condition causes progressive degradation of the muscle due a high level of some molecules in the muscular fibers causing the fibers to degrade. Some types of muscular dystrophy are so severe that sufferers are usually not expected to live beyond the age of thirty. Other types of problems include cardiac myopathy where the enzyme levels are elevated  because the heart is really just one big muscle.

Creatine kinase is crucial to the muscles because it helps in breaking down Adenosine Triphosphate into Adenosine diphosphate and phosphocreatine. This reaction is extremely fast even reversible. In a normal amount of work, the glycogen and glucose that we store or eat is used in the citric acid cycle or the Kreb’s cycle to create ATP. The degradation of ATP to ADP in the mitochondria of individual cells is what gives off energy. ADP has to then be converted back to ATP with the glucose or glycogen. This reaction can take some time. In muscles like the heart, time for this kind of conversion is a luxury and to facilitate a quick reaction, the body uses creatine to scoop up the extra phosphorus ion in the ATP breakdown. This creates phosphocreatine, which can then be combined with ADP to create ATP and creatine again. Creatine Kinase enzymes are what cause this reaction to occur in as short a time as seven seconds.