Inflammation is finally being recognized in conventional medical circles as a prime contributor to serious health concerns in women. These include heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease — to name just a few. A simple test called C-reactive protein (CRP) can help determine whether inflammation is present in your body. Including if it is present in the vessels around your heart.
The liver mainly releases CRP into the bloodstream in the presence of inflammation. This includes when there is an infection. Generally speaking, inflammation is a sign that your body’s immune system is reacting to injured or infected tissue. Although your immune system is only doing its job, too much inflammation, or an ongoing inflammatory response, can lead to problems.
When most of us think of inflammation, we imagine pain, swelling and redness. But we now know that chronic, low level inflammation can be present without these symptoms, while it’s still, insidiously, contributing to disease. Our nutrition, stress level and environmental toxicity particularly influence this low-grade inflammation. Over time it can cause problems, such as heart disease, the conditions mentioned above.
There is no definitive agreement on when to order CRP testing or who should have it. Most practitioners in conventional medicine use this test to monitor acute infection or distinctly inflammatory disorders such as arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. However, doctors are becoming increasingly aware of CRP’s value in assessing cardiovascular risk.
CRP and cardiovascular risk
The AHA/CDC (American Heart Association/Centers for Disease Control) have jointly established levels of cardiovascular risk according to the following CRP values:
Low risk: less than 1.0 mg/L
Average risk: 1.0-3.0 mg/L
High risk: above 3.0 mg/L
A test known as hs-CRP, or high-sensitivity-CRP, measures more subtle changes in CRP. However, when treating patients, many practitioners don’t order an hs-CRP because they don’t know what to do if it’s elevated.
In 2003, the American Heart Association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention jointly published recommendations for the clinical use of these tests. They explained that CRP values are only useful as an independent marker of risk for cardiovascular disease. And stated that doctors should not use CRP testing as a widespread screening tool or to track treatment.
That may change with the recent publication of a large worldwide study. It found people with high levels of hs-CRP who use a common statin drug have a reduction in risk of heart attack or stroke. (Note that health care practitioners generally prescribe statin drugs to lower cholesterol but also reduce inflammation.) Testing for hs-CRP may become the norm, and that’s going to be a good thing!
CRP is an extremely important preventive marker. When elevated, there are many steps you can take to dampen the inflammatory cascade and limit your risk of inflammation-related disorders. And this is without signing up for lifelong prescription drugs and their problematic side effects. By improving digestion and nutrition (e.g., including colorful fruits and vegetables, but reducing sweets), low-grade inflammation (along with CRP levels) can be reduced significantly. You might also consider adding anti-inflammatory spices such as ginger and turmeric to your meals, .
