Creatine
Creatine: A compound the body synthesizes (makes) and then utilizes to store energy. The storage of energy occurs when phosphate molecules are attached to creatine to create creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate is capable of donating phosphate to ADP in order to make ATP. ATP can then be converted into ADP with release of energy.
Creatine is sold as a dietary supplement and is used by athletes as a “legal steroid” to increase muscle bulk. There has been some concern about the long-term safety of creatine, particularly as to whether it may cause digestive, muscular and cardiovascular problems and possibly raise the risk of cancer.
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- Creatinine
A chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. Approximately 2% of the body’s creatine is converted to creatinine every day. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and […]
- Creatinine blood test
A test that helps determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally. The kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range. Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. As the kidneys become impaired for any reason, the creatinine level in the blood will rise due to poor clearance by […]
- Creatinine clearance test
Creatinine clearance test: A test that helps determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally. Specifically, the creatinine-clearance test gauges the rate at which a waste, creatinine, is “cleared” from the blood by the kidneys. Creatinine is produced from the metabolism of protein as when muscles burn energy. Most creatinine is then filtered out of the […]
- Crepitus
Crepitus: A clinical sign in medicine that is characterized by a peculiar crackling, crinkly, or grating feeling or sound under the skin, around the lungs, or in the joints. Crepitus in soft tissues is often due to gas, most often air, that has penetrated and infiltrated an area where it should not normally be (for […]
- Cretinism
Cretinism: Congenital hypothyroidism (underactivity of the thyroid gland at birth), which results in growth retardation, developmental delay, and other abnormal features. Cretinism can be due to deficiency of iodine in the mother’s diet during pregnancy.