Waste product levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Values may vary slightly from lab to lab. Normal ranges can vary among individuals, however, general normal levels are as follows:

• Creatinine.
  Males:  0.6 to 1.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
  Females:  0.5 to 1.1 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
  
  These levels may be higher in more muscular men or middle-aged adults. Elderly individuals may have levels lower than the general population.
  
  
• Uric acid.    
  Males: 3.0 to 7.0 mg/dL
  Females: 2.3 to 6.0 mg/dL
  
  
• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Normal levels are 6.0 to 20 mg/dL, but may be slightly higher in elderly patients.

An abnormal waste product test may indicate a wide variety of conditions, including:

• Kidney (renal) failure. Acute renal failure is the sudden loss of the kidney’s ability to rid the body or urine and waste and conserve electrolytes.
  
  
• Heart failure. A serious condition in which the heart is not pumping well enough to meet the body’s demand for oxygen. It is called heart failure because the heart is failing to pump efficiently, which often results in congestion in the lungs.
  
  
• Liver failure. When the liver begins damaged beyond repair and the organ is not longer able to function.
  
  
• Gout. A painful joint inflammation caused by an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood and deposits of urates in and around the joints.
  
  
• Malnutrition. Inadequate nutrition that may be caused by an unbalanced diet or malabsorption, which is a condition in which the body has difficulty digesting or absorbing nutrients from food.
  
  
• Dehydration. Too little fluid in the body.
  
  
• Overhydration. Too much fluid in the body.
  
  
• Heart attack. An event that results in permanent heart damage or death. It is also known as a myocardial infarction, because part of the heart muscle (myocardium) may literally die (infarction).
  
  
• Alcoholism.
  
  
• Urinary tract obstruction (e.g., stones, tumor).
  
  
• Lead poisoning.
  
  
• Nephrotic syndrome. A grouping of findings that include protein in urine, low blood protein and swelling (edema) that often produces an increase in cholesterol levels.
  
  
• Muscular dystrophy. A progressive disease characterized by the deterioration of muscle.
  
  
• Gigantism or acromegaly. Excess growth hormone that results in the overgrowth of some bones. Gigantism is the term used when too much growth hormone is present before all normal bone growth has stopped (childhood), and acromegaly is the term used when too much growth hormone is released after normal bone growth has stopped.
  
  
• Shock.
  
  
• Complications of diabetes.
  
  
• Toxemia during pregnancy. In pregnant women, abnormal levels could indicate high blood pressure (preeclampsia).
  
  
• Hypoparathyroidism. A condition in which an individual produces too little of  parathyroid hormone causing abnormal calcium and phosphorus levels.
  
  
• Excessive exercise.