Causes of increased creatine kinase in the blood
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Increased activity of creatine kinase in the blood can not be considered a specific sign of myocardial infarction. The activity of creatine kinase may increase with myocarditis, myocardial dystrophy of various origin. Nevertheless, in these cases, the enzyme is moderate, longer, and usually corresponds to the phase of maximum activity of the process. A significant increase in the activity of creatine kinase in the blood serum is observed in traumatic injuries of skeletal muscles and diseases of the muscular system. So, with progressive muscular dystrophy (myopathy), the activity of creatine kinase can increase 50 times or more in comparison with the norm, which is used as a diagnostic test. It should be noted that with neurogenic dystrophies, the activity of creatine kinase in the blood often remains within normal limits. In order to differentiate myocardial infarction from muscle damage, determine the ratio of KK / AST. With myocardial infarction, this ratio is less than 10; if it is more than 10, then we can talk about the damage to skeletal muscles.
High activity of creatine kinase is possible with various violations from the side of the central nervous system (schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, syndromes caused by psychotropic drugs, etc.). In addition, the activity of creatine kinase increases after various surgical operations, and the method and duration of anesthesia affects the postoperative level of creatine kinase activity.
Finally, it should be borne in mind that an increase in creatine kinase activity is possible with alcohol intake and after the administration of drugs that activate the enzyme (eg, prednisolone) and hypothyroidism (on the contrary, with unusually low values of creatine kinase activity in thyrotoxicosis).
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