High Creatinine? Here's What Actually Works.

Your creatinine is high, and here is what actually lowers it. Your social media feed is full of teas and morning drinks promising to flush it down. Most do nothing, and some can actually harm your kidneys. In this episode, Dr. Sean Hashmi explains what really moves creatinine, what moves your true kidney function, and the three therapies with hard evidence that slow kidney disease. Creatinine is not a toxin your kidneys forgot to take out. It is a waste product from muscle, and the level in your blood depends on how much your kidneys clear and how much your body makes. More muscle makes more creatinine. A big steak dinner can nudge it up for a day. Dehydration concentrates it. That is why two people with the same creatinine can have very different kidney function, and why the 2024 KDIGO guidelines recommend adding cystatin C when precision matters. One reading is a snapshot. The trend over months is what counts. Detox teas, beet drinks, and morning flushes have no high-quality trials showing they improve kidney function. When one nudges the number down, it is usually dilution or eating less meat that week, not healing. And beet or green juices can be high in oxalate or potassium, which can be dangerous in advanced kidney disease. The three therapies with trial-grade evidence: an ACE inhibitor or ARB, especially with protein in the urine; an SGLT2 inhibitor, where the DAPA-CKD trial cut the main kidney outcome by 39%; and for type 2 diabetes with kidney disease, the GLP-1 semaglutide, where the FLOW trial cut its main outcome by 24%. All three work by lowering the pressure inside the kidney's tiny filters. On top of that sits the eating pattern KDIGO supports: more plants, less sodium, fewer phosphate additives. You cannot rebuild nephrons that are already gone, but you can take the pressure off the ones you have left. The information in this content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have seen in this content. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent the views of my employer or any affiliated institution. Never start, stop, or change the dose of any prescription medication without consulting your physician. Practice kindness and gratitude.