Creatinine optimal range and reference range
Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026
Sera's bands for Creatinine, which differ for men and women:
- Female: Optimal 0.6 – 0.9 mg/dL (53 – 80 μmol/L); sufficient 0.59 – 1.04 mg/dL (52 – 92 μmol/L); out of range below 0.59 or above 1.04 mg/dL.
- Male: Optimal 0.8 – 1.1 mg/dL (71 – 97 μmol/L); sufficient 0.74 – 1.35 mg/dL (65 – 119 μmol/L); out of range below 0.74 or above 1.35 mg/dL.
Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.
All units
| Unit | Applies to | Optimal | Sufficient | Out of range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mg/dL | Female | 0.6 – 0.9 | 0.59 – 1.04 | below 0.59 or above 1.04 |
| mg/dL | Male | 0.8 – 1.1 | 0.74 – 1.35 | below 0.74 or above 1.35 |
| μmol/L | Female | 53 – 80 | 52 – 92 | below 52 or above 92 |
| μmol/L | Male | 71 – 97 | 65 – 119 | below 65 or above 119 |
What the evidence says
Sex-specific, reflecting muscle mass rather than kidney function directly. Read alongside eGFR, which adjusts for age and sex. The acceptable band is a laboratory reference interval: 0.74 to 1.35 mg/dL in men and 0.59 to 1.04 in women (Mayo Clinic Laboratories). Other laboratories differ by about 0.1 mg/dL at each end. The narrower optimal band is a functional target with no published threshold behind it.
Sources
- CRTS1 - Overview: Creatinine with Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), Serum — Mayo Clinic Laboratories, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdult serum creatinine reference values: men aged 15 and over 0.74 to 1.35 mg/dL, women aged 16 and over 0.59 to 1.04 mg/dL. These are the proposed sex-specific acceptable bands.
- Creatinine blood test — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025 · Government / public-health guidanceNormal result 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL (62 to 115 umol/L) for men and 0.5 to 0.95 mg/dL (44 to 84 umol/L) for women. Confirms that the interval is sex-specific and that the women's upper limit sits near 1.0, not 1.2.
- Creatinine (Pathology tests database) — University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceUK adult serum creatinine interval: women 49 to 90 umol/L, men 64 to 104 umol/L (source given as Abbott Diagnostics). Corroborates sex-specific limits in SI units.
What Creatinine measures
A waste product from normal muscle activity that the kidneys filter out of the blood.
A main indicator of kidney function and is used to work out eGFR, your kidney filtering rate. Creatinine that climbs over time can be a sign that the kidneys are filtering less well.