Which laboratory value is measured to assess renal function?

Creatinine levels are a key indicator of renal function because creatinine is a waste product produced from muscle metabolism. The kidneys are primarily responsible for filtering creatinine from the blood and excreting it in urine. When kidney function is impaired, creatinine levels in the blood tend to rise, making it a reliable marker for evaluating how well the kidneys are functioning. Elevated creatinine levels can indicate various forms of kidney dysfunction or injury, allowing healthcare providers to assess and monitor a patient’s renal health effectively.

Other laboratory values, while important for various physiological processes, do not specifically assess kidney function. Glucose levels are related to metabolic health and diabetes, potassium levels are crucial for cardiac and muscle functions but are not specific to renal function, and lactate levels are indicators of tissue hypoxia and metabolic status rather than direct markers of kidney health.