Q: My husband is a 46 years old diabetic patient. Last month he was suffering from chest pain and got an ECG done, which was normal. The Troponin-I and CKMB-N too were normal. But the creatinine (123 umol/L) and urea level (6.5 mmol/L) were high. Does this mean his kidney is affected? Should we consult a nephrologist? After 2 days he did a blood test again and the creatinine level was found to be 104 and urea was 5.5. Will drinking more water help reduce the creatinine level? Can tension, stress lead to these problems and chest pain? The chest pain is still there. Is this any muscular pain?

A:Persistently elevated blood creatinine level signifies underlying kidney damage and especially in someone who is diabetic would certainly need to have himself checked out for complete evaluation by a nephrologist. This is because diabetes and hypertension are among the commonest causes of kidney disease, which routine blood tests as in your husband’s case trace many a times. Drinking water wouldn't reduce his creatinine level, nor would it cure his underlying kidney damage. Chest pain if persistent needs to be taken seriously since patients with diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease are prone to heart disease.