Kidney Health: Nowadays people have become more conscious about their health than before. They also get many types of tests done from time to time, so that they can get updates about their health and diseases can be treated at the right time. However, when the body checkup report comes in hand, it is not easy to understand many heavy words. Especially names like uric acid and creatinine confuse people. Many people think that both of them tell the same thing, whereas the truth is that both of them give information about different conditions of the body.

According to doctors, when we see a person’s lab report, names like uric acid and creatinine often appear together. The two words are related to kidneys, but they tell two completely different stories about your health. In such a situation, it becomes very important to have correct information about them.

Creatinine: test of kidney function

Creatinine is a waste product that is formed when our muscles use energy. The body makes it in roughly the same amount every day. Healthy kidneys filter it from the blood and expel it through urine. This is why doctors consider creatinine level a reliable indicator of kidney function. To explain it in simple words, consider creatinine as the ‘speedometer’ of the kidney. It is a waste product formed from the breakdown of muscles, which healthy kidneys eliminate at a steady rate. At the same time, if creatinine level increases then it often indicates that the kidneys are not functioning properly, which can cause dehydration or kidney-related disease.

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Uric Acid: A Way to Understand Metabolism

On the other hand, uric acid is formed by the breakdown of an element called purine in the body. We get purines from many foods, such as red meat, seafood, alcohol and even some healthy foods like pulses. Uric acid level varies according to diet, lifestyle and metabolism. Dr. Ankur Singhal explains that uric acid works like a “metabolic messenger”. It is formed when your body breaks down purines present in certain foods. If the level of uric acid increases, it does not always indicate kidney problems, rather it often points towards your lifestyle habits. Like drinking less water, taking too much sugar or problems related to metabolism can cause this.

So why do people often get confused?

If we compare the two, creatinine answers a simple question: are the kidneys filtering the blood properly? At the same time, uric acid asks a slightly bigger question that how is the body handling the waste generated from metabolism and food? That means creatinine reveals the condition of kidneys and uric acid reveals our habits. Doctors say that both these reports should always be understood together, it is not right to draw conclusions after looking at just one. Sometimes the levels of both increase together, which can also be a sign of a serious kidney problem.

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