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Kidney

Creatinine in men: normal values from 19 to above 80 and what a high value means

When creatine, a substance for the energy of muscles, is broken down, the waste product creatinine is formed, which the kidneys have to remove from the blood, according to the NVKC. According to the NVKC, men usually have a higher creatinine than women and children, because production depends on body height and muscle mass.

A high creatinine can come from blocked urine flow with prostate disease or kidney stones, from damage to or inflammation of the kidneys, or from less blood flow, according to the NVKC. Only a blood test shows how high your creatinine is.

Star-SHL and Unilabs give 61 to 113 µmol/l for men aged 19 to 50, and 65 to 149 µmol/l for men above 80.

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
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 · Male · 51–65 years 61–120 µmol/l
61 120
Star-shl · Male · 66–80 years 62–134 µmol/l
62 134
Star-shl · Male · 81 years and older 65–149 µmol/l
65 149
Unilabs · Male · 19–50 years 61–113 µmol/l
61 113
Unilabs · Male · 51–65 years 61–120 µmol/l
61 120
Unilabs · Male · 66–80 years 62–134 µmol/l
62 134
Unilabs · Male · 81 years and older 65–149 µmol/l
65 149
Certe · Male · 18 years and older 50–110 umol/L
50 110
Diagnostiek voor U · Male · 17 years and older 64–104 µmol/L
64 104
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

Certe measures creatinine in micromoles per litre (µmol/l) and gives 50 to 110 µmol/l for men above 18, based on a 2005 consensus of the Vereniging Klinische Chemie Noord-Nederland.

Creatinine: why this value matters

According to the NVKC, the kidneys have to remove creatinine from the blood. Muscle damage, for example from an accident, gives a temporary rise in creatinine according to the NVKC, and more muscle mass gives higher production.

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
on its own €7,- Kidney Function · €69,- · Extended Health Checkup · €259,- · Complete Metabolic Panel · €149,- · Men Over 40 Panel · €279,-
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 often requested together with a number of other tests, as a kind of overview of how a number of important organs function. From age 18, Star-SHL automatically calculates the eGFR with it.

Creatinine: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

According to the NVKC, a low creatinine arises when muscle mass decreases, such as at an old age or with long-term bed rest, and is usually no reason for concern.

High Levels

A high creatinine can fit kidney damage, and according to Thuisarts serious kidney damage can cause symptoms such as itching, headache, tiredness and fluid retention, for example in the legs. According to Thuisarts, early kidney damage often goes unnoticed.

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 high creatinine is one to discuss with your GP. If the creatinine test does not give good information, such as with little muscle mass or malnutrition, cystatin C can be requested according to the NVKC, a substance formed in almost all body cells.

Creatinine: frequently asked questions

What is a normal creatinine for a man of 70?

For men aged 66 to 80, Star-SHL and Unilabs give 62 to 134 µmol/l as the normal value for creatinine.

Can prostate disease raise creatinine?

Yes, according to the NVKC prostate disease can raise creatinine when it hinders the flow of urine, as can kidney stones.

Does muscle mass raise creatinine?

Yes, according to the NVKC the amount of creatinine the body makes depends on body height and muscle mass. According to the NVKC, muscle damage, for example from an accident, gives a temporary rise.

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.

Health Checkups

Complete Metabolic Panel

Comprehensive metabolic panel: electrolytes, kidney, liver, glucose, HbA1c, and protein.

HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) Calcium ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) Bilirubin (Total) Urea (BUN) Creatinine eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) Glucose (Fasting) Bicarbonate Chloride Sodium Potassium Albumin Total Protein Bilirubin (Direct) Bilirubin (Indirect)
€149,-
Health Checkups

Men Over 40 Panel

Age-appropriate screening including testosterone and PSA.

HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Triglycerides Creatinine Free T4 (Thyroxine) LDL Cholesterol SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) Total Cholesterol Vitamin D (25-OH) Free Testosterone Total Testosterone hs-CRP (High Sensitivity CRP) HDL Cholesterol eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Non-HDL Cholesterol LDL/HDL Ratio
€279,-

Medical reviewer

Medical standards

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

Medical policy
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Creatinine

€7,-