C-Reactive Protein: An Old Test With New Meaning

In this column, I will ontinue to emphasize preventing heart disease, the top eliminator, and cancer, the perennial runner-up, but I am happy to comment on any health topic. As in the past, I will try to separate medical fact from hype and fiction and stress preventative measures and screening.

CRP:

Two recent studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that high levels of inflammation in the body, as measured by the blood test C-Reactive Protein (CRP), were as important as high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in promoting hardening of the arteries. Many of us whose patients have coronary heart disease and blockages in other arteries have suspected the CRP connection for years. I have recommended this screening test to readers several times, and I have long included it in my patients' blood testing. New in these studies is that the risk from high CRP is believed to be independent of the cholesterol levels. Equally as important, if the CRP was lowered, the risk of heart attacks and strokes also decreased. In other words, periodic CRP tests can be used to measure how prevention and treatment is working.