Serum creatinine concentration

Method

Serum or plasma creatinine by clinical assay. Assay method recorded on the edge -- Jaffe and enzymatic methods are not interchangeable.

The method is part of the endpoint identity. Studies measuring the same quantity by a different method are held as separate endpoints.

Notes

Creatine supplementation raises serum creatinine as a direct consequence of increased creatine turnover, in the absence of any change in renal function. An edge showing that rise is a real finding about a laboratory value and is NOT evidence of kidney injury. Any claim about renal harm must run through egfr or a measured clearance, and the renderer must never let the two be read as the same thing.

Findings

4 findings from 2 compounds, strongest first.

• creatine — increases

  BLikelyGrade B, Likely. Human evidence, limited replication or design limits.Findingreplicated ×2

  “Regarding the biochemical tests, creatine supplementation was associated with higher serum creatinine levels (p = 0.04) and decreased PGRN (p = 0.04) compared to the placebo group.”

  Study

  RCT

  Duration

  7 days

  Dose

  creatine 10 g orally twice daily during 7 days of hospitalisation

  Population

  adults aged 60 years and older hospitalised for acute ischaemic stroke; secondary endpoint

  Influence of CReatine Supplementation on mUScle Mass and Strength After Stroke (ICaRUS Stroke Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial.2024PMID:39683542

• creatine — increases

  BLikelyGrade B, Likely. Human evidence, limited replication or design limits.Findingreplicated ×2

  “Creatine supplementation was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in serum creatinine (MD: 0.07 µmol/L; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.12; p = 0.03).”

  Study

  meta-analysis

  Population

  adults supplementing with creatine

  Effect of creatine supplementation on kidney function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.2025PMID:41199218

• curcumin — no detected effect on

  BLikelyGrade B, Likely. Human evidence, limited replication or design limits.FindingNull result

  “A comparison of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and creatinine levels revealed no significant differences between the curcumin and placebo groups.”

  Study

  RCT

  Dose

  Oral ethanolic Curcuma longa rhizome extract standardised to 75-85% total curcuminoids, 250 mg curcuminoids per capsule, three capsules twice daily (1500 mg curcuminoids/day) for 12 months

  Population

  Obese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus managed on metformin (age >=35 y, BMI >=23 kg/m2, HbA1c <6.5%), Nakhon Nayok, Thailand; 227 randomised, per-protocol analysis and the analysed count is not reported in the paper; prespecified safety/adverse-effect assessment, not an efficacy endpoint (declared primary outcome: liver steatosis by controlled attenuation parameter)

  Curcumin Attenuates Liver Steatosis via Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pathways in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2025PMID:41096556Industry funded

• creatine — increases

  CSuggestiveGrade C, Suggestive. Weak human evidence, or strong evidence in a mismatched population.Findingreplicated ×2

  “Specifically, there was an increase in serum creatinine (mean difference 12.63 μmol/L, 95% CI 1.14 to 24.12) and decrease in eGFR (−25.79 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI −44.3 to −7.25) in individuals on creatine supplementation compared to placebo.”

  Study

  crossover

  Duration

  3 months

  Dose

  creatine monohydrate ~100 mg/kg/day (2.5-10 g daily by weight band) for 12 weeks per crossover period

  Population

  children aged 5-18 years with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy; safety outcome, not the primary endpoint

  Effect 12.63 mean difference, 95% CI 1.14 to 24.12

  Effect of creatine monohydrate on motor function in children with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.2025PMID:40366059