Creatine Kinase

Understanding Creatine Kinase

Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme that is predominantly found in your skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and brain. Under normal conditions, its levels in the blood are very low or undetectable. However, when the muscles experience damage, in certain conditions like heart attack, or skeletal muscle injuries, the CK levels in the blood may significantly rise.

The appearance of CK in blood has been generally considered to be an important marker of muscle damage and by analyzing the levels of creatine kinase, doctors can...

What does Creatine Kinase measure?

A Creatine Kinase test measures the levels of creatine kinase in your blood. This enzyme is a high-energy substance used by our body to generate energy. It is found in our skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and brain. When any of these tissues are damaged, they release creatine kinase into your bloodstream. Repeated testing may also help monitor muscle damage or detect a subsequent or second heart attack early on.