33 year old husbands blood creatinine level is 1.18( ref. range is 0.50-1.20). is this on the high end of normal, and should we be worried?

It depends: A creatinine of 1.18 in a 33 yr old man may or may not be considered high depending on the person and the situation. People who are very muscular tend to have higher creatinines and this is completely normal. People on certain medications may have higher creatinine levels. That said, it is possible that it is not normal for him. He should ask his doctor whether it seems appropriate for him.

Creatinine of 1.18: You should ask your physician for her thoughts on your husband's creatinine (c) level. It is still normal and would be nice to know if were the same level last year, or if it were increasing. At this level, in the absence of an increase c level, i would speak to his physician and not be too concerned. If it is increasing see a nephrologist for better management of it.

I would not be: If your husband is muscular or heavyset, this is normal. Reference ranges are set so that about 5% of healthy people fall above the upper limit, and nowadays this includes many if not most well-muscled men. Keep an eye on this -- kidney patients tend to have creatinine levels well above this.

No: But he probably does not drink enough water. It is important to drink 64 ounces of water ( not counting soda or coffee or other fluid) each day. If he would drink that much water consistently his creatinine would probably come down!