What should my ck level be

CK, also known as phosphocreatine kinase, or CPK, is a type of protein called an enzyme. It catalyzes, or "encourages," a biochemical reaction to occur. The normal function of CK in our cells is to add a phosphate group to creatine, turning it into the high-energy molecule phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is burned as a quick source of energy by our cells.

However, the normal function of CK isn't as relevant, in this case, as what happens to CK when muscle is damaged. During the process of muscle degeneration, muscle cells break open and their contents find their way into the bloodstream.

Because most of the CK in the body normally exists in muscle, a rise in the amount of CK in the blood indicates that muscle damage has occurred, or is occurring. To measure CK levels, a blood sample is taken and separated into fractions that contain cells and a fraction that doesn't — the serum. The amount of CK in the serum is reported in units U of enzyme activity per liter L of serum. Higher amounts of serum CK can indicate muscle damage due to chronic disease or acute muscle injury.

For this reason, if you're scheduled to have blood drawn for a CK test to diagnose a potential muscle disorder, you should limit your exercise to normal activities before the test. Serum CK concentrations are reflective of muscle mass causing males to have higher concentrations than females.

CK may be measured to evaluate myopathy and to monitor patients with rhabdomyolysis for acute kidney injury. Note: Strenuous exercise or intramuscular injections may cause transient elevation of creatine kinase CK.

Serum creatine kinase CK activity may increase in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease or neurosurgical intervention and with cerebral ischemia as well as in nearly all patients when injury, inflammation, or necrosis of skeletal or heart muscle occurs, including:. For detection of myocardial infarction, changes in serum CK and its heart tissue MB isoenzyme have been largely replaced by the more cardiac-specific nonenzymatic markers, cardiac troponin I or T.

Exercise, muscle trauma contact sports, traffic accidents, intramuscular injections, surgery, convulsions, wasp or bee stings, and burns , and drugs such as cholesterol-lowering statins can damage muscle and increase serum creatine kinase CK concentrations.

Tietz Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests. Fourth edition. Edited by Wu AHB. A small amount of CK in the blood is normal. Higher amounts can mean a health problem. Depending on the type and level of CK found, it can mean you have damage or disease of the skeletal muscles , heart, or brain. A CK test is most often used to diagnose and monitor muscular injuries and diseases. These diseases include:. The test can be used to help diagnose a heart attack, though not very often.

CK testing used to be a common test for heart attacks. But another test, called troponin , has been found to be better at detecting heart damage. You may also need this test if you had a muscle injury or stroke.

CK levels may not peak until up to two days after certain injuries, so you may need to be tested a few times. This test can help show if you have damage to your heart or other muscles. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. If your results show you have a higher than normal level of CK, it may mean you have an injury or disease of the muscles, heart, or brain. To get more information, your provider may order tests to check the levels of specific CK enzymes:.