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.
What Does A High Level Of C
A high level of C-reactive protein in the blood is an indication of inflammation, which a reaction by your bodys immune system. Inflammation can develop when the immune system triggers numerous physical reactions in response to infection or physical injury. Wounds, infections, and tissue damage heal through the inflammatory response. When a particular part of your body gets injured or affected by a harmful substance, inflammation helps to heal and protect the body by delivering more nourishment and defensive activity to the affected area.
However, when inflammation persists after the healing process, it can do more harm than good. In fact, chronic inflammation can lead to various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of cancer that can cause damage. The various symptoms of chronic inflammation include fatigue, chest pain, joint pain, fever, mouth sores, abdominal pain, and rash.
A Study On Type 2 Diabetic Patients Showed That Using Standardized Extract Of Ginseng For 8 Weeks Could Significantly Decrease Crp Levels
You should always consult a healthcare practitioner about diagnosing and treating any health-related problems.
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What Can You Do About It
One of the best ways to lower c reactive protein levels is to lower cholesterol. This is because c reactive protein levels are linked to cholesterol levels. According to a study published in the journal JAMA, c reactive protein levels were higher in people who had low levels of cholesterol. Additionally, high cholesterol has been linked to an increased risk of having higher c reactive protein levels. Low-fat foods like salmon and egg whites may help lower c reactive protein levels. Other foods that have been found to help reduce c reactive protein levels are white beans and almonds. These foods are high in fiber and plant-based proteins. Some studies have also found that foods high in vitamin C and vitamin B12 can reduce c reactive protein levels. Foods that contain vitamin B12 include yogurt, milk and eggs.
+ Ways To Lower C Reactive Protein
Biljana Novkovic, PhDJonathan Ritter, PharmD, PhD Puya Yazdi, MDBiljana Novkovic, PhD
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Foods That Lower The C
The Mediterranean diet includes foods that are beneficial for lowering inflammation and thus C-reactive protein levels in the body. This diet contains fresh, whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish, which supply anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s can also be found in walnuts, flax and chia seeds, and canola oil.
Treat The Underlying Condition
The most important step you should take is to work with your doctor to determine why it is elevated, says Leann Poston, MD,medical advisor for Impakt Fitness. Treating the condition causing inflammation is essential to reducing an elevated CRP level. Depending on the underlying cause, the following may lower CRP levels.
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How To Lower The Level Of C
First of all, it is necessary to remember that inflammation is a normal and useful reaction for the body. It is part of the natural defense reactions to infections, lesions or other health problems.
On the other hand, if the inflammation persists, it could become problematic. Indeed, it causes the chronicity of pain, swelling and other symptoms.
Basically, in the long term, inflammation makes the body susceptible and vulnerable to disease. Moreover, a high value of the CRP increases the risk of other conditions, including heart disease. Hence the interest in lowering it.
What Causes High Crp Levels
High CRP levels tend to occur with severe bacterial or fungal infections, such as sepsis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, or endocarditis. In fact, infections are responsible for 90% of cases involving CRP levels of 50 mg/L or greater. An extensive range of risk factors can cause mild or moderately raised CRP levels, including:
- Viral illness, like COVID-19
- Inflammatory conditions or autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis
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The Advent Of Molecular Biology Ushered In A Deeper Understanding Of C
Figure 1 C-reactive protein is a pentamer with two distinct faces. On the A face each CRP monomer displays an -helical stretch of residues adjacent to the C1q and FcR binding sites and on the opposite B face each monomer displays residues that help coordinate two Ca2+ ions that assist with binding to ligands . The image is a reproduction of structure 1B09 as reported by and was created using NGL accessed on PDB .
Figure 2 The human C-reactive protein gene. Downstream of CRP is the CRP pseudo-gene , that is likely involved in cis-acting regulation of basal CRP expression. The proximal promoter of CRP is typically mapped as the region ~300 nucleotides upstream of the transcription start site, including the TATA binding site at 29 to 26 . The short 5 untranslated region precedes the coding sequence for the 18 amino acid-long leader peptide . Exon 1 encodes the first three amino acids of mature CRP and is immediately followed by the intron. The remainder of CRP is encoded by exon 2 . CRP has a long 3UTR sequence with a poly signal . Each region is drawn approximately to scale. The relative locations in the CRP promoter of binding elements for hepatic nuclear factor 1 and HNF3 that contribute to regulation of constitutive expression of CRP and for C/EBP , NF-B , and STAT3 that contribute to regulation of expression of CRP during the acute phase response. Note that C/EBP and NF-B and the repressor OCT-1 utilize overlapping elements.
Tips To Cut Down Inflammatory Foods From Your Diet:
- Eat more vegetables
- Add a lot of antioxidant foods
- Limit carbohydrates
- Get omega -3 fatty acids
- Avoid red meat, soda, junk foods, fried foods and other processed food.
Natural anti-inflammatory foods can lower your chances of having inflammation. Of course, medicines and other therapies are important but as many experts say anti-inflammatory foods may help too. You should never ignore any kind of inflammation as it could be signs of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohns disease as well as ulcerative colitis. Therefore, home remedies are extremely useful in controlling inflammation in its nascent stages to prevent further complications.
Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a health care professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the readers situation.
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What Is The Most Likely Cause
Chronically elevated CRP levels often signal RA or infectious arthritis, which occurs when a joint becomes infected.
Significantly elevated CRP levels tend to occur with severe infections, such as bacterial or fungal infections. Bacterial infection is responsible for about of the cases involving CRP levels higher than 50 mg/l.
Sometimes, higher levels also occur with certain cancers and other conditions that can cause significant inflammation.
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 Happens During A Crp Test
A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This process usually takes less than five minutes.
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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Crp And Heart Disease
American Heart Association in 2019 states that when considering all risk factors, people with CRP levels greater than or equal to 2 milligrams per liter may need more intense measures to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Elevated levels of CRP may have an important role in identifying people who might need closer follow-up or more intensive treatment after heart attacks or heart procedures.
CRP levels may also be useful in identifying people at risk of heart disease when cholesterol levels alone may not be helpful.
- a diet low in nutrients and higher in fat and refined carbs
- physical inactivity
- overweight and obesity
A family history of heart disease can also put you at a higher risk of heart disease.
No special preparation is necessary for this test. You may eat normally on the day of, and the test can happen at any time of day.
This test is done via a blood sample, so there will be a small needle involved.
How To Lower C Reactive Protein
C reactive protein is a protein that is produced by the body when it is exposed to stress, injury, or infection. Its important for our immune system to produce C reactive protein when were in need of help. Its also important for our bodies to keep the levels of CRP in balance. Excess levels of CRP in the blood can indicate a number of health conditions.
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What Therapies Does Dr Weil Recommend For Elevated C
Dr. Weil recommends an anti-inflammatory diet that includes two to three servings of fish such as salmon or sardines per week. If you dont eat fish, he suggests taking fish oil supplements. He also recommends taking anti-inflammatory herbs including ginger and turmeric and following your doctors recommendations for heart health. That means quitting smoking, watching your diet , and getting regular exercise: research indicates that as fitness levels decline, C-reactive protein levels go up.
Quispe R, Michos ED, Martin SS, Puri R, Toth PP, Al Suwaidi J, Banach M, Virani SS, Blumenthal RS, Jones SR, Elshazly MB. High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Discordance With Atherogenic Lipid Measures and Incidence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Primary Prevention: The ARIC Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 Feb 4 9:e013600. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.013600. Epub 2020 Jan 30. PMID: 32013698 PMCID: PMC7033866. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32013698/mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-reactive-protein/basics/definition/prc-20014480nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003356.htmwebmd.com/a-to-z-guides/c-reactive-protein-crp
Reviewed by Benjamin S. Gonzalez, M.D., May, 2016. Updated August 2022.
Foods To Avoid With High C
Related Articles
The C-reactive protein is an inflammatory marker often checked in blood tests to determine levels of inflammation in the body. Produced by the liver, it becomes elevated with a variety of inflammatory conditions, including digestive, heart and joint problems. Research has shown that lowering the levels of inflammation in the body can greatly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Inflammation can be reduced with a variety of lifestyle strategies, including the reduction of certain foods in the diet.
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Vitamin A C D K Sufficiency
Vitamins are nutrients our bodies need but cant produce themselves that are important for health and proper body function. When there is not enough of certain vitamins, our body starts functioning suboptimally. Some deficiencies can even have serious health consequences.
Blood vitamin C concentrations were found to be associated with lower CRP levels in both men and women, primarily among non-smokers, non-overweight women and postmenopausal women .
Supplementation with Vit C + Calcium + Iron reduced CRP and oral pathogens in a rural population with periodontitis .
In another study, elevated CRP was associated with vitamin D deficiency in the urban elderly .
Elevated CRP was associated with vitamin A deficiency in multiple studies .
Finally, CRP was elevated in vitamin K deficiency in both seniors and young adult women .
Why Do I Need A Crp Test
You may need this test if you have symptoms of a serious bacterial infection. Symptoms include:
If you’ve already been diagnosed with an infection or have a chronic disease, this test may be used to monitor your treatment. CRP levels rise and fall depending on how much inflammation you have. If your CRP levels go down, it’s a sign that your treatment for inflammation is working.
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Protect Against Alzheimers Disease
Changes in brain health and cognitive decline are common side effects of aging. Still, several studies show that omega-3s may protect brain health while aging and lower the risk of Alzheimers disease.
One systematic review found that omega-3 supplements may help improve cognitive performance in people with mild Alzheimers disease symptoms.
Meet The Protein That Measures Inflammation Levels
C-reactive protein or CRP is an inflammatory protein that is one of best ways to measure your inflammation levels. Produced mainly by the liver, we all make CRP and in normal levels CRP helps fight off infections and protect your body. You see, inflammation is not inherently bad but just like anything else in the bodylike hormones and bacteriainflammation is subject to the Goldilocks principle: It can’t be too high or too low it needs to be just right.
Inflammation becomes damaging when it flares unchecked, like a forest fire fueled by gasoline. The CRP test measures your inflammatory firestorm.
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Saturated And Trans Fats
The standard American diet includes a great deal of saturated and trans fats which can contribute to inflammation. Animal fats such as whole-fat dairy and red meat are sources of saturated fat. Partially hydrogenated oil and artificial fats from pastries, crackers, and other processed and packaged foods contain trans fat.