C-reactive protein

The body produces (CRP) during the general process of inflammation. When a disease called atherosclerosis damages arteries around the heart, they become inflamed, which triggers CRP production. For years we thought that diseased arteries around the heart slowly narrow, then clog or collapse and cause a heart attack. While this does occur, it is much more rare than had been anticipated. And that theory didn’t explain the patients who were fine one day, but had a heart attack the next week. It has been found that in some people inflamed, softened artery walls develop weak areas that can rupture suddenly, causing a heart attack. Also, plaque can build up quickly in inflamed arteries, increasing the risk of blood clots.

In testing CRP to assess cardiac risk it is important to measure "high-sensitivity" CRP. This is because older tests for CRP, which are adequate for monitoring severe inflammatory conditions, do not have the ability to measure levels accurately within the range needed for cardiac risk detection.  A more sensitive CRP test, called a highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assay, is available to determine heart disease risk. People who have hs-CRP results in the high end of the normal range have 1.5 to 4 times the risk of having a heart attack as those with CRP values at the low end of the normal range.

It’s been suggested that testing CRP levels in the blood may be an additional way to assess cardiovascular disease risk. CRP levels predict recurrent coronary events among patients who already suffer from heart disease. The prognosis of patients in the acute phase of a heart attack is also tightly linked to CRP levels. However, the most important current use of CRP is in primary prevention, that is, in the detection of high risk among individuals not yet known to have a problem. People with at least one risk factor, such as family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking or diabetes, should be tested. Hs-CRP is a great test for people with one or two risk factors who wonder if they are really in jeopardy of a heart attack or a stroke.

In testing CRP to assess cardiac risk it is important to measure "high-sensitivity" CRP. This is because older tests for CRP, which are adequate for monitoring severe inflammatory conditions, do not have the ability to measure levels accurately within the range needed for cardiac risk detection.  A more sensitive CRP test, called a highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assay, is available to determine heart disease risk. People who have hs-CRP results in the high end of the normal range have 1.5 to 4 times the risk of having a heart attack as those with CRP values at the low end of the normal range.

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