CPK Creatine Kinase Test

Cpk Creatine Kinase test

It is a simple blood test that measures Cpk Creatine Kinase levels in your blood. It is also called Cpk Creatine phosphokinase test. Cpk Creatine Kinase is a type of enzyme (protein that help in chemical reaction) present in your body that causes phosphorylation of Creatine. This enzyme is found mostly in heart, brain and skeletal muscles.

According to the site of production Cpk is of 3 types (called as isoenzymes):

• Cpk 1-found in brain and lungs (also called Cpk B)

• Cpk 2-found in heart

• Cpk 3-found in skeletal muscles (also called CpkM)

There is increase in the level of this enzyme whenever there is any injury, stress or damage to the muscles. The common diseases diagnosed with the help of this test are dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and malignant hyperthermia.

High levels of Cpk 1 are seen in following conditions:

• Seizures

• Stroke

• Brain tumour

• Lung infarction

High levels of Cpk 2 are seen in following conditions:

• Heart attack

• Inflammation of cardiac muscles(myocarditis)

• Electric injury

High levels of Cpk 3 are seen in following conditions:

• Muscle inflammation

• Muscle injury

• Muscle dystrophy

Why is Cpk Creatine Kinase test prescribed?

Your health care provider may prescribe this test in the following situations:

• To detect heart attack, angina

• To find the reason of chest pain

• To find out severity of damage to heart or skeletal muscles

• To detect muscular dystrophy

What are the components of Cpk Creatine Kinase blood test?

Whenever the levels of Cpk Creatine Kinase are increased then the doctor may order testing of Cpk isoenzymes to know the source of damage (brain, heart or skeletalmuscle)

Procedure and prerequisites

The sample for Cpk Creatine Kinase blood test is taken from blood by inserting small needle into vein of your arm. A small amount of  blood is then collected in a test tube or vial. You may feel some pain due to needle prick. Certain medications like statins, steroids, alcohol etc may alter the results of this test; hence consult your doctor before undergoing this test. The levels of this test is also altered due to exercise, vaccination, intramuscular injections ,surgery hence consider doing this test  in the absence of above conditions.

Reference range

1. Normal range (males)-39 to 308 U/L

2. Normal range(females)-26 to 192 U/L