C-reactive protein – a predictor of future heart disease

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CRP or C-reactive protein is the most important marker for predicting future heart disease that you might not have heard of.In recent years,high-sensitivity c-reactive blood testhas become a popular method to proactively monitor the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

In past few decades, along with cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides, this pentagon-shaped molecule has becomeone of the most important indicator of heart health. As a marker of low levels of inflammation, crp is an excellent predictor of future coronary heart disease, especially among those with a family history of the disease.High crp levels are indicative of mild inflammation that typically appears with age, when plaque start to build in arteries and results in atherosclerosis, blocked arteries, and stroke.

The American Heart Association believes plenty of evidence exists to confirm the usefulness of hs-crp test for a healthy heart. Their expert opinion from 2013 guidelinessays “clinicians can employ the recommendations confidently to reduce the risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events” by testing for crp in risk groups.

Historically, c-reactive protein has been used to understand chronic inflammation, e.g., in arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory conditions arising from bacterial or viral infections. Recently, CRP was also identified as a critical marker in the diagnosis and prediction of severity of COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

A recent review of 23 different studies found crp as an excellent inflammation marker in blood. They defined three different cut-off values to identify the levels of inflammation. Values between 3 mg/L and 10 mg/L correlate withlow levels of inflammation not typically observed by any other methods of diagnosis. This range is considered a predictor of future heart disease because these levels of inflammation directly associate with the well-knownFramingham Risk Factors.

Values below 1 mg/L are considered healthy. Up to 3 mg/L, the risk is nominal at approximately 26% higher than general population. However, in the range of 3-10 mg/L, the risk increases to 60% for anyone with blood test showing inflammation this high. Values over 10 mg/L are likely from unrelated issues and might be due to chronic inflammation and conditions unrelated to heart.

It’s important to note that a crp test doesn’t check for heart disease. It’s the inflammation often associated with higher crp levels that might correlate to the risk of heart disease. Also, many other factors including genetic predisposition, Vitamin D, BMI, and lifestyle can modulate the risk.

Also, a c-reactive protein test checks for systemic inflammation and can not pinpoint the exact location of the inflammation. Levels often correlate with Vitamin D levels, and that’s why Inflammation and Vitamin D are often tested together. Because temporary changes in health can affect the results, it’s often recommended to test again within next few weeks to confirm your results.

To reduce the risk of heart disease and therefore crp levels, the general guidelines from American Heart Association should be considered. These include eating healthy, exercising regularly, managing weight and stress levels, and drinking alcohol in moderation.