SynthesisEuropean journal of neurology2025
What Are the Normal Serum Creatine Kinase Values for Skeletal Muscle? A Worldwide Systematic Review.
Synthesis in European journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- EAN 2024 Guideline on the Diagnostic Approach to Oligo/Asymptomatic HyperCKemia.European journal of neurology · 2026Guideline
- Establishment and evaluation of hematological and serum biochemical reference intervals in Chinese local donkey populations.BMC veterinary research · 2026Article
- Clinical Value ofDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- RTN4IP1 mutation and endocrine failure: clinical features and possible benefits of coenzyme Q10.Endocrine connections · 2026Article
- Association between the serum creatine kinase level and all-cause mortality in centenarians: a prospective cohort study in China.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Neurosenescence, inflammaging and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disorders.Frontiers in aging · 2026Review
- Assessing the diagnostic utility of baseline creatine kinase levels in patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and neuromuscular disorders.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2026Article
- The Usefulness of Basic Laboratory Analyses in Diagnostics of Inherited Metabolic Diseases in Children.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSerum creatine kinase (CK) has been used as a diagnostic marker for neuromuscular disorders since 1959. As manufacturer-provided normative data indicate, CK levels can be elevated in normal individuals. Recent evidence suggests these data often underestimate true CK values, which are influenced by age, race, gender, and other physiological factors. Therefore, establishing a reliable normal range for CK is crucial before further investigation, particularly in oligo/asymptomatic patients.
objectiveThis systematic review aims to determine the normal CK levels across various populations.
methodsWe systematically reviewed observational studies with a cross-sectional, descriptive design. We included studies focusing on healthy adults (> 18 years) of any race who aimed to establish normal CK values, including at least 100 participants. We utilized the following databases: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane.
resultsCK values typically exhibit a non-Gaussian distribution. Black individuals demonstrate significantly higher CK values compared to Caucasians and Asians. The upper reference limits for CK in Caucasian and Asian males range from 227-440 U/L, while for Black males, it is between 520-810 U/L. The upper reference limits for females range from 135-248 U/L and up to 354 U/L, respectively.
conclusionsNormal CK values might be higher than previously suggested, especially among specific racial groups. Each laboratory should ideally determine its reference values for CK that reflect its local population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.