What is CPK test done for?

Category: medical health heart and cardiovascular diseases
4.7/5 (146 Views . 15 Votes)
The creatine phosphokinase test measures the amount of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in your blood. It helps assess damage in the brain, muscle tissue… Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases that damage and weaken your muscles over time.



In respect to this, what does it mean when your CPK level is high?

When the total CPK level is very high, it most often means there has been injury or stress to muscle tissue, the heart, or the brain. Muscle tissue injury is most likely. When a muscle is damaged, CPK leaks into the bloodstream. Diagnose heart attack.

Similarly, what are the symptoms of high CK levels? Elevated creatine kinase may accompany other symptoms of a heart attack including:
  • Chest pain or pressure.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness.
  • Pain that radiates to the jaw or down the arm.
  • Profuse sweating.
  • Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)

Simply so, what drugs increase CPK levels?

Drugs that can increase CPK measurements include amphotericin B, certain anesthetics, statins, fibrates, dexamethasone, alcohol, and cocaine.

What is normal CPK level?

CPK blood tests the different forms of CPK in the bloodstream and the CPK normal range varies from a male to female. The CPK normal range for a male is between 39 – 308 U/L, while in females the CPK normal range is between 26 – 192 U/L.

32 Related Question Answers Found

Are high CPK levels dangerous?

In summary, renal injury with high serum CPK values becomes a true concern when levels of CPK reach 5,000 IU/L and the patient has serious co-morbid disease such as volume depletion, sepsis or acidosis. Otherwise, values of up to 20,000 IU/L may be tolerated without untoward event.

How long does it take for CPK levels to go down?

Serum CK concentration, mainly the CK-MM subtype, is the most sensitive indicator of damage to muscles. Serum CK begins to rise approximately 2 to 12 hours after the onset of muscle injury, peaks within 24 to 72 hours, and then declines gradually in 7–10 days.

What diseases cause high CK levels?

Increased CK may be seen with, for example:
  • Recent crush and compression muscle injuries, trauma, burns, and electrocution.
  • Inherited myopathies, such as muscular dystrophy.
  • Hormonal (endocrine) disorders, such as thyroid disorders, Addison disease or Cushing disease.
  • Strenuous exercise.
  • Prolonged surgeries.
  • Seizures.

Is CK and CPK the same thing?

Creatine kinase (CK), also known as creatine phosphokinase (CPK) or phosphocreatine kinase, is an enzyme (EC 2.7. 3.2) expressed by various tissues and cell types. This CK enzyme reaction is reversible and thus ATP can be generated from PCr and ADP.

Is a high Cpk good?


The higher the Cpk, the better is the capability of the process to meet its requirements. In the industry, a Cpk of less than 1.66 needs a closer look. A Cpk that's less than 1.33 needs some action to make it higher, and a Cpk of less than 1.0 means that the process is not capable of meeting its requirements.

Can high CK levels cause fatigue?

Chronically elevated Creatine Kinase can lead to muscle fatigue, injury and decreased athletic performance.

Can high CK levels cause death?

Unlike type 1, macro CK type 2 has been reported in predominantly ill patients [1, 4–6], most commonly in association with malignancy (colonic carcinoma [10]) and liver disease [1, 4–6]. It is associated with high mortality [4, 6] and when present in children can be a marker of myocardial disease [5]. Lee et al.

Can dehydration cause elevated CK levels?

In our study, serum CK and LDH levels, important damage indicators, were higher in the dehydrated group than in the not dehydrated group. Therefore; it is our opinion that the high level of skeletal muscle damage among the dehydrated wrestlers was caused by food and fluid restriction following exercises.

Is high CPK level dangerous?

If the heart CPK (CPK-MB) is elevated it can mean that the heart is damaged which can occur in a heart attack or in conditions in which the heart muscle is inflammed such as viral myocarditis. Certain drugs such as cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) can damage muscle and elevate CPK.

What drugs can cause myositis?


What drugs can cause myositis?
  • Statins.
  • Colchicine.
  • Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine)
  • Alpha-interferon.
  • Cocaine.
  • Alcohol.

What does myositis feel like?

Symptoms of myositis can include muscle weakness, muscle pain and muscle tenderness. Other symptoms vary, depending on the specific cause of myositis: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. These conditions typically cause painless muscle weakness that develops slowly over weeks, months or years.

What is toxic myositis?

Toxic myopathies are a diverse group of muscle disorders caused by a variety of medications and toxins. These conditions may be classified by their presumed pathogenic pattern, which is often either purely necrotizing or vacuolar.

What does low CPK indicate?

Findings of a low serum CPK values may occur in the absence of steroid treatment. Thus, a low serum CPK value is frequently found in patients with connective tissue diseases and a normal value should not dissuade one from the diagnosis of myositis.

Do Statins raise CPK levels?

In general, CPK levels were highest in patients with muscle pain who were currently taking statins, but many patients with evidence of muscle injury had CPK levels in the normal range.

What autoimmune disease affects the muscles?


Autoimmune Myositis. Autoimmune myositis is a group of autoimmune rheumatic disorders that cause inflammation and weakness in the muscles (polymyositis) or in the skin and muscles (dermatomyositis).

What happens when CK levels are high?

CK is a type of protein. Levels of CK can rise after a heart attack, skeletal muscle injury, strenuous exercise, or drinking too much alcohol, and from taking certain medicines or supplements. If this test shows that your CK levels are high, you may have muscle or heart damage. CK is made up of three enzyme forms.

How do I get my CK levels down?

Talk to your doctor about ways to help lower your creatinine levels, including these eight natural options:
  1. Cut back on vigorous exercise.
  2. Don't take supplements containing creatine.
  3. Reduce your protein intake.
  4. Eat more fiber.
  5. Talk to your doctor about how much fluid you should drink.
  6. Try chitosan supplements.
  7. Take WH30+