Chronic kidney disease(CKD) is a condition where the filtering units of healthy kidneys undergo slow damage. Due to this, the kidneys are unable to function properly leading to an increase in the levels of metabolic waste products and fluids in the body. Chronic Kidney disease (CKD)is a progressive condition, that could get worse with time and terminates in End-stage renal disease This is most commonly seen in the elderly population but people and children of other ages can also get affected by it.

Chronic kidney disease(CKD) mostly is secondary to chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. As the incidences of these diseases are increasing all over the world, consequently the cases of Chronic kidney disease (CKD) are also increasing. According to a survey done by WHO in 2020, Chronic kidney disease(CKD) has been ranked as the 10th leading cause of death worldwide (5) and it is predicted that it will rise further to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2040(6). In 2017, CKD resulted in 2.6 million deaths worldwide; In India, 15-16 % of the population is affected by chronic kidney disease(CKD)

Before getting into the details of Chronic kidney disease(CKD) let us first see what are the functions of a healthy kidney-

A person is said to be suffering from chronic kidney disease(CKD) when his creatinine levels rise above 1.2 mg/dL- and GFR falls below 90mL/min/1.73m2

It is a waste product of protein metabolism. It is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate - which is normally present in the muscles and is utilized for energy production by the muscles. Creatinine is present in the blood that passes through the kidneys for filtration. In the kidneys, the glomerulus filters out creatinine and other metabolic waste and water to form urine. Creatinine does not get reabsorbed again into the blood. Hence creatinine levels serve as a marker for kidney function.

However, estimation of kidney function is not to be done solely based on creatinine levels itself as other conditions can cause temporarily elevated creatinine levels without any underlying kidney pathology. Increased intake of creatine supplements - used for bodybuilding could increase the amount of creatinine being excreted in the urine. Also, the extent of creatinine produced is directly proportional to the muscle mass. Hence more the muscle mass, the higher the creatinine generated. Also, the creatinine levels could be high if a person is dehydrated at the time of giving blood samples to the lab.