What Elevated Crp Levels Mean
When CRP levels remain elevated for a long time, it can indicate chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. This type of low-grade inflammation contributes to the deposit of fat and other substances in the artery walls, a condition called atherosclerosis.
This build-up can narrow the arteries that feed the heart blood, causing coronary artery disease . Over time, heart attack, stroke, or heart failure can occur. This is true even for those with elevated CRP levels who have no obvious symptoms or signs of active inflammation.
Inflammation is an important contributor to atherosclerosis and elevated CRP is associated with an increased risk of CAD. A study of 376 people found that 210 of them diagnosed with CAD all had elevated CRP levels when compared with 166 people who did not have CAD.
The CRP level increased in step with the degree of blood vessel damage evaluated by coronary angiography, an imaging test used to visualize blood flow through the heart.
What Is The C
C-reactive protein is a of inflammation. The liver makes it in response to injury or infection somewhere in your body. The liver sends CRP into the blood, where it helps the body recognize and clear out pathogens or damaged cells.
Levels of CRP rise very quickly once the liver starts making it. The levels will stay high as long as inflammation is present. They fall quickly when inflammation subsides. The level changes make CRP a good direct measure of inflammation.
Doctors can assess the level of CRP in the blood by ordering a C-reactive protein blood test.
Why Is A C
If your doctor suspects you may have an inflammatory disorder , they may order a C-reaction protein test. This test can show theres a high level of inflammation, but it does not show where the inflammation is located or what might be causing it.
If you have a previously diagnosed inflammatory issue, your doctor may also order this test occasionally to see how your treatment is working, and if the issue is being properly managed.
Its important to note that ahigh-sensitivity C-reactive protein test is a slightly different test than a regular C-reaction protein test. This test typically predicts heart disease and stroke.
While the regular C-reactive test can help uncover different diseases that cause inflammation by measuring high levels of protein, the hs-CRP test measures lower levels of protein, which can signal the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Your doctor may order a hs-CRP if theyre focusing on cardiovascular issues.
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High Sensitivity Crp Test
There is also a high sensitivity CRP test doctors use for assessing heart disease risk. It measures CRP in mg/L. However, its normal and high levels differ from a standard CRP test.
Results for a hs-CRP test generally fall into three categories:
- Low risk: less than 1 mg/L
- Moderate risk: 13 mg/L
- High risk: greater than 3 mg/L
If you already know you are at low risk of heart disease, having a hs-CRP may not be useful.
Conversely, if you already know you are at high risk, a hs-CRP will not provide new information. This test is most useful in people who are at moderate risk of heart disease. For these people, hs-CRP can add another data point to help doctors decide on the next steps, such as lifestyle changes or medication.
Is Crp An Ideal Biomarker Of Inflammation In Ckd
CRP belongs to the pentraxin family of calcium-dependent ligand-binding plasma proteins. It derives its name from its ability to precipitate the C-polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumonia. Circulating CRP is produced primarily by hepatocytes under transcriptional control by IL-6.63 In response to an inciting stimulus, CRP synthesis is rapidly initiated, with the serum concentration peak occurring in about 48 hours. The median concentration of CRP is 0.8 mg/L in healthy subjects, the 90th percentile is 3.0 mg/L, and the 99th percentile is 10 mg/L.64 CRP binds to phosphocholine residues and also to a variety of autologous and extrinsic ligands, and aggregates the molecules exhibiting these ligands leading to activation of the complement cascade.65 CRP is a highly stable analyte in serum or plasma, which can be measured easily and reproducibly. CRP level is a non-specific measure of inflammation that may be useful for screening and monitoring response to treatment. CRP has also emerged as an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in diverse clinical settings. None of the other upstream mediators or downstream effectors of inflammation including other acute-phase reactants have such desirable characteristics, rendering CRP the most commonly used measure of inflammation.
Henry Welch, Rodrigo Hasbun, in, 2010
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How Does Crp Relate To Cardiovascular Risk
Your level of C-reactive protein can be an indicator of how at risk you are for developing cardiovascular problems. This is because the development of atherosclerosis is associated with inflammation within the vessel walls. The result is higher levels of CRP in patients with atherosclerosis than in those without atherosclerosis.
The value of knowing CRP levels depends on whether you fall into one of three cardiovascular risk groups:
- Low risk because of low cholesterol levels and little history of risk factors that is, no diabetes, high blood pressure, or smoking, and no family history of heart attacks at an early age. Even a higher level of CRP will probably not put you at a level of risk that requires than lifestyle changes.
- Intermediate risk helpful to know CRP level, because it can provide missing piece of information for physician deciding next step in treatment
- High risk not essential to know your CRP, because you should already be combining aggressive treatment with lifestyle changes to lower your risk
What Is The Difference Between Crp And Hs
As youve no doubt guessed, the difference between CRP and hs-CRP is contained in the hs abbreviation high sensitivity.
Traditionally, CRP, or C-reactive protein, is measured down to concentrations of 3 to 5 mg/L hs-CRP is measured down to concentrations of approximately 0.3 mg/L. This improved sensitivity allows hs-CRP to be used to detect low levels of chronic inflammation.
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Chip Determination By Next
The subjects DNA was sequenced at high coverage on an Ion Proton sequencer using a custom Ampliseq CHIP panel designed to target the top 11 genes reported in CHIP , with 202 amplicons covering 38.49 kb. The panel coverage, specificity, and sensitivity were validated . Mutations were considered present if the variant allele frequency was 2% as defined by Steensma et al. Base calling, alignment , and variant calling were performed in instrument by TorrentServer v5.8.0 . Subsequently, mutations were annotated and filtered using IonReporter v5.8 , and only exonic and splice site mutations with a minor allele frequency 0.001 were kept for further annotation. Frameshift, nonsense, in-frame deletions or insertions, splice sites, and predicted consequential missense mutations were considered significant. In the absence of nonhematological tissue for germline status confirmation, mutations with a VAF of 50% or 100% were considered potentially germline and excluded except if they cooccurred with other somatic mutations .
What Is The Normal Range For A Crp Test
Laboratories have different reference ranges for normal C-reactive protein levels. When you get your blood test results back, there will be information that indicates what that labs normal CRP range is.
In general, the normal CRP level is less than 0.9 milligrams per deciliter .
Many factors can affect your CRP level. Minor CRP level elevation may be due to the following conditions or situations:
People assigned female at birth and elderly people have naturally higher levels of CRP.
If you have any questions about your results, be sure to ask your healthcare provider.
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What Crp Level Is Dangerously High
Whether a CRP level is dangerous will depend on the type of c-reactive protein test used, your individual medical history, and the suspected cause of inflammation. Your healthcare provider can best explain the test results to you. In general, anything above 1 mg/dL is elevated and may require intervention. The higher the level, the more likely you will need a diagnosis and treatment for its cause.
When Is It Ordered
Currently, there is no consensus on when to get tested, though some guidelines include recommendations on hs-CRP testing. For example, a guideline from the American College of Cardiology Foundations and the American Heart Association says that hs-CRP testing may be useful when men 50 years old or younger and women 60 years old or younger have intermediate risk. It also may be useful for treatment decisions when men and women are older than these respective ages and have LDL-C less than 130 mg/L and meet several other criteria, such as no existing heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or inflammatory conditions.
When hs-CRP is evaluated, it may be repeated to confirm that a person has persistent low levels of inflammation. The CDC and the American Heart Association recommend that measurement of hs-CRP greater than 10 mg/L be repeated twice, optimally two weeks apart, fasting or non-fasting in patients free of infection or acute illness.
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Looking For Reference Ranges
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratorys website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your labs website in order to provide you with background information about the test you had performed. You will need to return to your labs website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test to obtain the reference range.
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
How Is The Test Used
A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test measures low levels of CRP and may be used to help evaluate an individual for risk of cardiovascular disease . It may be used in combination with a lipid panel or with other cardiac risk markers, such as a lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 test, to provide added information about heart disease risk.
High-sensitivity CRP is thought by some experts to be a useful test for determining risk of CVD, heart attacks, and strokes and that hs-CRP can play a role in the evaluation process before a person develops one of these health problems. Some say that the best way to predict risk is to combine a good marker for inflammation, like hs-CRP, with the lipid panel. Several groups have recommended that this test be used for people who have a moderate risk of heart attack over the next 10 years.
However, not all health professionals agree on hs-CRPs usefulness. Clinical trials that involve measuring hs-CRP levels are currently underway in an effort to better understand its role in cardiovascular events. These studies will help to form and refine guidelines on its use in screening and treatment decisions.
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What Is The Difference Between Regular Crp And Hs
Both tests measure the same protein in the blood. The hs-CRP test is for apparently healthy people to determine their risk of cardiovascular disease. It measures CRP in the range from 0.5 to 10 mg/L. The CRP test is ordered to evaluate people who have signs and symptoms of a serious bacterial infection or of a serious chronic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. It measures CRP in the range from 10 to 1000 mg/L.
How To Treat And Prevent Elevated Levels
C-reactive protein treatment depends on what the underlying cause of the inflammation is. The best way to naturally treat high levels is to uncover the root cause of someones inflammatory response and then make lifestyle or medication recommendations based on that finding.
The same types of healthy habits that help protect against heart disease, such as eating a balanced diet, not smoking and exercising, are also usually involved in treatment for high CRP levels are.
1. Eat An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
In order to protect against the effects of inflammation on your heart and elsewhere, its recommended that you eat a whole-foods diet such as the Mediterranean diet. This type of nutrient-dense diet includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs, fish, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
Eating foods high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, A and E, plusprobiotic foods can help to support your immune system. One study found that high intake of vitamin C helped to reduce CRP levels in people with levels greater than 1 mg/L.
Its also important to address any food allergies you may be suffering from, as well as to avoid foods that trigger flair-ups if you have inflammatory bowel disease. These foods can include: gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and others depending on the person.
2. Get Regular Exercise
3. Talk to Your Doctor About Your Medication Use
If an infection is the root cause of your elevated CRP, then antibiotics may be needed to help you recover.
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Design Study Setting And Participants
This is a prospective, community-based cohort study. Participants were recruited in 2012 and 2014 of HABCS from eight longevity areas selected by the Chinese Society of Gerontology. The densities of oldest old adults are higher in longevity areas than in other areas. These areas include Chen Mai County , Yong Fu County , Ma Yang County , Zhong Xiang City , Xia Yi County , San Shui City , Lai Zhou City , and Ru Dong County . In this study, a total of 2206 participants were enrolled at baseline and follow-up in 2014 and 2017, respectively. We included all adults aged 80 years or older with available results of CRP tests, and 269 participants were lost to follow-up . The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking University and Duke University. All participants included in HABCS provided informed consent. More details of HABCS have been previously described .
Figure 1. Flowchart of participant enrollment.
Why Do You Need A C
Your doctor may order a CRP test if they suspect you have a condition causing inflammation. There are several acute and chronic conditions that can result in increased CRP levels, including:
Results for the standard CRP test fall into four categories:
- Slight elevation: 0.31.0 mg/L
- Moderate elevation: 1.010.0 mg/L
- High elevation: 10 mg/L or higher
- Severe: 50 mg/L
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Treating And Preventing Elevated C
C-reactive protein levels increase and decrease depending on how much inflammation youre experiencing at any given time. Inflammation is defined as Redness, swelling, pain, and/or a feeling of heat in an area of the body. This is a protective reaction to injury, disease, or irritation of the tissues.
When you arent sick or injured, its normal for C-reactive protein levels to be low. But when something happens to signal to the body that it needs to be healed, levels rise to make this happen. Once you start to recover and symptoms subside, levels will fall and should return to normal.
This is why doctors use CRP tests to determine if a patients treatment plan is working, in addition to assessing if he/she is at risk for problems related to chronic inflammation , including heart disease.
What Does A High Crp Level Mean
If you have a moderately to severely elevated CRP level, it probably means you have some type of inflammation. But a CRP test cant show the cause of the inflammation or where it is in your body. Because of this, your healthcare provider will likely order additional tests if your result shows a high CRP level.
How high your CRP level is can mean different things.
Moderate elevation
A CRP test result of 1.0 to 10.0 milligrams per deciliter is generally considered a moderately elevated level. This result may indicate any of the following conditions:
- Systemic inflammation from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis , systemic lupus erythematosus or other autoimmune conditions.
Severe elevation
A CRP test result of more than 50 mg/dL is generally considered severe elevation. Results over 50 mg/L are associated with acute bacterial infections about 90% of the time.
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What Happens After The Test
- You will probably be able to go home right away. It depends on the reason for the test.
- You can go back to your usual activities right away.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It’s also a good idea to keep a list of the medicines you take. Ask your doctor when you can expect to have your test results.
Additional Biomarkers Improve Current Cv Risk Assessment
The use of conventional risk factors, such as serum cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, and smoking, fails to identify a considerable proportion of individuals at risk of CVD.7The combination of traditional risk factors and emerging risk factors is expected to facilitate the assessment of patients global risk, thereby allowing optimal use of diagnostic and therapeutic efforts in high-risk subjects.8
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What Is Being Tested
C-reactive protein is a protein that increases in the blood with inflammation and infection as well as following a heart attack, surgery, or trauma. Studies have suggested that a persistent low level of inflammation plays a major role in atherosclerosis, the narrowing of blood vessels due to build-up of cholesterol and other lipids, which is often associated with cardiovascular disease . The hs-CRP test accurately measures low levels of CRP to identify low but persistent levels of inflammation and thus helps predict a persons risk of developing CVD.
There are two different tests that measure CRP and each test measures a different range of CRP level in the blood for different purposes:
- The standard CRP test measures markedly high levels of the protein to detect diseases that cause significant inflammation. It measures CRP in the range from 10 to 1000 mg/L. This test may be used to detect inflammation.
- The hs-CRP test accurately detects lower levels of the protein than the standard CRP test. It measures CRP in the range from 0.5 to 10 mg/L. This test is used to evaluate individuals for risk of CVD.
hs-CRP could be a marker not only in apparently healthy people, recent studies have shown. Adults with congenital heart disease with elevated CRP have worse functional status and exercise capacity, greater risk for death, or non-elective cardiovascular hospitalization.