In addition to watching cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease, it is also helpful to monitor c-reactive protein levels.
CRP is secreted by the liver is response to inflammation, which is said to play a role in heart disease.
CRP damges artery walls, making them more susceptible to fatty plaque buildup.
This can rupture and block the heart’s vessels.
“I started to see more research or CRP in the last six years or so,” said Dr. David Sheps, associate chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Florida.
“What people need to know is that CRP is a marker or inflammation and its relation to heart disease really depends on the patient and his or her personal health history.”
Sheps said if a physician knows a patient has a history of cardiovascular disease, he or she may be more aggressive in using medication to help the patient.
According to eh New England Journal of Medicine, CRP may be a risk factor in coronary-artery disease and heart attacks.
Gayle Norris, lab supervisor at CHC Labs explains further.
“CRP levels rise in inflammatory conditions such as trauma, infection, and rheumatoid arthritis, and to a lesser extent in chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease,” she said.
Joe Collins, founder of CHC Labs in Lake City, says he is completely convinced that both men and women need to have a regular testing done to check their cholesterol and CRP levels.
“All the test are interrelated because everything in the body is interrelated,” he said.
“It has been found that patients with hyperlipidemia, or an elevation of fats in the bloodstream, usually also have higher levels of CRP.” Collins said.
Collins suggest that persons interested in checking their CRP level should consult their doctors first.
“Prevention starts with a change in lifestyle,” he said. “We Americans are fat overeaters who don’t exercise and this takes a toll on our health.”
Norris said that levels of CRP less than 1.0 mg/dL represents low risk, levels between 1.0 and 3.0 mg represents average risk and levels more than 3.0 mg represents high risk.
Hope Hall, a phlobotimist at Lab Corporation of America in Lake City said, “The CRP test is a good indicator or possible heart problems, but only in addition to other tests under direction of a physician.”
A CRP test alone should not be misinterpreted because high levels may not always mean a cardiovascular threat.
Higher levels of CRP can appear when a patient is sick or if they have had an injury to due an accident, Hall said.
Hall said most insurance programs cover CRP testing as long as it is directed by a physician for the proper reasons like family health history and symptoms.
“Blood is withdrawn from the patient and analyzed,” Hall said. “Then the results are usually provided to the physician in 24 hours.”
Biju Matthew, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Florida, says that most people have never heard of CRP, but that there is a good amount of research about it.
“There is a wealth of information about cholesterol, and the research and data on CRP is substantial as well, but there needs to be more,” he said. “Asking your doctor about it is the first step to learning more.”
–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.
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