Kidney Failure

Renal failure is the condition in which the kidneys fail to function properly. Physiologically, renal failure is described as a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate. Clinically, this manifests in an elevated serum creatinine. The serum creatinine is the most widely used blood-chemistry test to assess renal function. Better methods do exist, but they are considerably more costly and may not be as widely applicable. Serum creatinine levels depend not only on kidney function, but on the person's existing muscle mass as well. Muscle mass varies with age, sex, and race. Typically, younger patients, male patients, and African-American patients have higher muscle mass. Certain disease states, such as liver failure, lead to a decrease in muscle mass. In this disease state, known in the medical field as cirrhosis, the serum creatinine may look "normal", but given the state of low muscle mass, may still be abnormal, and thus reflective of abnormal kidney function.

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Related Links:

• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

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