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Causes of elevated creatine kinase in the blood
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Increased creatine kinase activity in the blood cannot be considered a specific sign of myocardial infarction. Creatine kinase activity may increase in myocarditis, myocardial dystrophies of various origins. However, fermentemia in such cases is moderate, longer lasting, and usually corresponds to the phase of maximum activity of the process. A significant increase in creatine kinase activity in the blood serum is observed in traumatic injuries of skeletal muscles and diseases of the muscular system. Thus, in progressive muscular dystrophy (myopathy), creatine kinase activity can increase by 50 times or more compared to the norm, which is used as a diagnostic test. It should be noted that in neurogenic dystrophies, creatine kinase activity in the blood often remains within the normal range. In order to differentiate myocardial infarction from muscle damage, the CK/AST ratio is determined. In myocardial infarction, this ratio is less than 10; If it is more than 10, then we can talk about damage to skeletal muscles.
High creatine kinase activity is possible with various disorders of the central nervous system (schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, syndromes caused by psychotropic drugs, etc.). In addition, creatine kinase activity increases after various surgical operations, and the method and duration of anesthesia affects the postoperative level of creatine kinase activity.
Finally, it is necessary to take into account that an increase in creatine kinase activity is possible with alcohol consumption and after the administration of drugs that activate the enzyme (for example, prednisolone), as well as with hypothyroidism (on the contrary, with thyrotoxicosis, unusually low values of creatine kinase activity are observed).
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