CPK Blood Test: What You Need to Know (High and Low Results)

Know Your Blood is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

All about the CPK Blood Test

Please view and read our disclaimer before?continuing

What is the CPK Blood Test?

CPK (or?creatine phosphokinase) is an enzyme that lives in your blood.?Enzymes are complex proteins that help carry out functions all throughout your body. Your body needs enzymes to function properly.

The CPK test evaluates three different kinds of bodily enzymes:

  • CPK-1 – which helps to handle bodily functions in the brain and lungs.
  • CPK-2 – which helps to handle bodily functions in the heart.
  • CPK-3 – which helps to handle bodily functions in the skeletal muscles.

Why would we want to see this enzyme activity?

When damage occurs in these parts of your body, CPK enzymes are dispatched to facilitate the problem and help induce your body to conduct healing procedures.

The CPK test analyzes your blood to look at the amount of CPK enzymes present in the body. This information can indirectly inform us of any damage that has taken place in these specific parts of the body.

CPK tests are most commonly ordered when certain conditions arise, such as:?

  • heart attacks
  • crush injuries
  • myocarditis (heart inflammation)
  • muscular dystrophies
  • brain injury
  • stroke
  • lung damage
  • pulmonary embolism (clot)

Before you decide to get a CPK test, check out this list of things that can interfere with the test results:

  • Statin drugs for cholesterol
  • steroids
  • anesthetics
  • antifungal medication
  • alcohol
  • cocaine
  • intense exercise
  • prolonged inactivity
  • intramuscular injections
  • catheterization
  • recent surgeries

What if I Have Low CPK Test Results?

Though potentially less risky than high results, you’ll want to ask your doctor about bringing these up to normal.

Low CPK values can signal potential connective tissue diseases, alcoholic liver disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

If the amount of CPK in your body is low, that means there is no significant injury or any reason for your body to need to respond by elevating CPK levels.?

Thus, a?low?serum?CPK?value is frequently found in patients with connective tissue diseases

What if I have High CPK Test Results?

Having a high result on your CPK panel can signal potential damage to your internal organs.

As stated earlier, there are three forms of CPK. Any of these three can become elevated.

Below are brief summaries of each and what a high result can mean.

If you have elevated CPK-1

Since CPK 1 is normally found in the brain and lungs, elevated levels mean there is disharmony in these areas.?

Potential conditions related to elevated CPK-1 include:

  • Injury to the brain like stroke, inflammation or bleeding.
  • Cancers
  • The resulting damage from seizures
  • pulmonary infarction (a form of extreme damage to the lungs)

If you have elevated CPK-2

CPK 2 handles the heart, so imbalances here can indicate potential issues with your heart.

Potential problems related to elevated CPK-2 include

  • Injuries sustained by the heart (physical accident or drug-induced)
  • Inflammation (due to a variety of causes)
  • intense shocks (lighting, phone wires)

If you have elevated CPK-3 – CPK 3 mainly handles your muscles, so it will become elevated with any issues there.?

Potential problems related to CPK-3 include:

  • Muscle injuries?
  • stagnation of muscles for a long period
  • drug induced injury
  • chronic or acute inflammation

Much of the time our high results for CPK won’t mean much. Levels are typically raised after muscle injury. So many times the elevated enzymes will pass.

But it is important that you have help anaylzing whether your risk for other issues is real.

On getting the CPK test done

If you need to get the CPK test done, you’ll need to ask your doctor or you can order it online. The link will bring you to True Health Labs, which is an online blood test vendor.

Once you complete your test and get the results you are provided with a free phone or skype conversation where the lead doctor will go over your results and give you the information you need to take the next step in treatment.

15 thoughts on “CPK Blood Test: What You Need to Know (High and Low Results)”

  1. My CPK blood test was 35. The good range is above 45. I have been takes
    statins for over 40 years and have pains in my legs mostly at night.
    This is what I read on the WEB.
    LOW RESULTS INDICATE: Low levels of CK or CPK could indicate alcoholic liver disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
    I don’t drink that often.

  2. Sir
    CPK badne se kya uthna baithne me problem ho jati h kyu ki meri family me nine member h jisme se four man ko deere deere udhane aur baithne me hoti gayi aur end me pord rup me bikgang ho gaye h jinka cpk test bahut hi high ho gaya tha iska ilaj kya h hospital ka name batta please reply me

Leave a Reply to Laurie Romani Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *