Jack Challem
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 People who eat a lot of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates also tend to have high levels of crp.
Normal hsCRP: 0.11 mg/dl or less
Moderately elevated hsCRP: 0.12 to 0.19 mg/dl
High hsCRP: 0.20 to 1.50 mg/dl
Very high hsCRP: 1.51 to 3.7 mg/dl
Extremely high hsCRP: 3.8 mg/dl or higher
High levels of hsCRP can be reduced by losing weight, exercising, improving your glucose tolerance, eating more vegetables, using turmeric as a spice in your foods, taking vitamin E supplements, and reducing your consumption of sugary foods and refined carbs. |
Michael T. Murray and Michael R. Lyon
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 To measure the degree of inflammation, physicians can determine the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. crp is one of the acute phase proteins that increase during the systemic inflammation that often accompanies insulin resistance. Most of the research on crp has focused on its role in predicting heart attack. The higher the crp level, the higher the risk of developing heart attack. The same is true for sarcopenia: the higher the crp level, the greater the acceleration in the loss of muscle mass. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 Because inflammation is a key factor in diabetes and its complications, including heart disease, knowing whether you have an abnormal crp level is very important.
Average values of crp in the population range from 1.0 to 3.0 mg/dL, but the scientific evidence indicates that these midrange, average levels are not ideal. For optimal health, crp values need to be less than 1.0 mg/dL. For example, recent findings reported in the New England Journal of Medicine show that people who attain the lowest levels of crp and LDL significantly reduce the rate of heart attack. |
Michael T. Murray and Michael R. Lyon
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| If your crp is higher than 3.0mg/L, it is a serious red flag.
Dietary interventions alone have been shown to lower crp levels. In particular, the Mediterranean diet can be quite effective in lowering crp levels to normal. If you follow its basic dietary recommendations, your crp level should easily fall into the normal range. In addition, recent population-based studies have shown carotene-rich foods are protective against a decline in muscle strength and walking disability as we get older. |
Elaine Magee
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 New research suggests that people with elevated blood sugar and crp levels may be at especially high risk, says Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Knowing your LDL cholesterol evels is no longer enough. You need to know your crp levels, too. Even if your LDL levels are in the safe range, you can have dangerously high crp levels. |
Bottom Line Health
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| STUDY FINDINGS
The University of Maryland Medical School study of more than 15,000 adults found that elevated blood levels of crp are closely connected with traditional heart disease risk factors, such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Elevated crp levels rarely occur in the absence of these traditional risk factors, the researchers say.
The crp test turned out to be one of the greatest myths in cardiovascular medicine.
Michael Miller, MD
"We believe that high C-reactive protein is truly related to the company it keeps," says principal investigator Dr. |
Elaine Magee
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| Even if your LDL levels are in the safe range, you can have dangerously high crp levels. In a recent study frorr the Center for Cardiovascular Disease in Women at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, people who had desirable LDL levels (below 70) but crp levels greater than 2 had a 45 percent increase in heart attacks and deaths from heart disease than those with normal LDL levels and crp levels below 2. |
Jack Challem
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| C-Reactive Protein
C-reactive protein (CRP) is both a marker and a promoter of inflammation. crp levels can reach as much as 500 mg/dl in serious inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis) and trauma (life-threatening injuries).
In the late 1990s, Harvard Medical School researchers developed a more sensitive version of the test, called the high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) test. This test identifies chronic low-grade inflammation that substantially increases the risk of developing heart disease and having a heart attack. |
Michael T. Murray and Michael R. Lyon
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| Dietary interventions alone have been shown to lower crp levels. In particular, the Mediterranean diet can be quite effective in lowering crp levels to normal. If you follow its basic dietary recommendations, your crp level should easily fall into the normal range. In addition, recent population-based studies have shown carotene-rich foods are protective against a decline in muscle strength and walking disability as we get older. |
Byron J. Richards, CCN
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 Even when a new risk factor is clearly identified, such as crp (C-reactive protein), patients have to argue with their doctors to get the test ordered. Why? Because poor scores do not go with a convenient drug to administer. The crp test is reflective of the inflammatory problems induced by leptin, as elevated TNFa drives up crp. The crp test is backed by overwhelming scientific agreement to support it as a useful marker for heart disease risk.
Leptin blood tests are not important for most people in order to understand if they have a problem with leptin. |
Steven V. Joyal
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| Average values of crp in the population range from 1.0 to 3.0 mg/dL, but the scientific evidence indicates that these midrange, average levels are not ideal. For optimal health, crp values need to be less than 1.0 mg/dL. For example, recent findings reported in the New England Journal of Medicine show that people who attain the lowest levels of crp and LDL significantly reduce the rate of heart attack. |
| Hopefully, highlighting the importance of this test will translate into more people being screened and more heart disease being prevented.
The crp test measures the concentration of this specific protein, which is produced by the liver when inflammation is present in the body. Because inflammation is a key factor in diabetes and its complications, including heart disease, knowing whether you have an abnormal crp level is very important.
Average values of crp in the population range from 1.0 to 3.0 mg/dL, but the scientific evidence indicates that these midrange, average levels are not ideal. |
Elaine Magee
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| In a recent study frorr the Center for Cardiovascular Disease in Women at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, people who had desirable LDL levels (below 70) but crp levels greater than 2 had a 45 percent increase in heart attacks and deaths from heart disease than those with normal LDL levels and crp levels below 2.
In a second study, this one from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's department of cardiovascular medicine, arterial plaque was measured in 502 people with heart disease before and after 18 months of statin (cholesterol-lowering medication) use. |
Ray D. Strand
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 One such highly preferred blood test is the highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hs crp). This test measures the arterial inflammation currently present. This test is actually a better predictor of who is going to develop heart disease than a cholesterol level is. Why shouldn't it be? In fact doing highly sensitive CRPs allows the physician to identify those patients who have normal cholesterol levels and may still be at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 We can determine how much inflammation is going on in your body using a simple lab test that measures levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). crp is regarded as an important risk factor for heart disease, and a test for its levels in the blood is likely to soon be a standard part of any evaluation for cardiovascular disease.
Diet and Inflammation
The standard American diet is a pro-inflammatory diet. I'm not referring only to diets high in fat—although the usual high trans-fat, fast-food, and processed-food diet consumed in the United States is, in fact, pro-inflammatory. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Elevated crp levels rarely occur in the absence of these traditional risk factors, the researchers say.
The crp test turned out to be one of the greatest myths in cardiovascular medicine.
Michael Miller, MD
"We believe that high C-reactive protein is truly related to the company it keeps," says principal investigator Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and is not an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. |
Carol Simontacchi
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 Researchers then measured their crp levels. The study found that adults who struggled with depression, anger, or hostility had levels of crp that were several times higher than those of happier, calmer adults. And the higher the mood disorder, the higher the levels of crp.
One of the researchers noted that anger, hostility, and depression tend to cluster in the same individual, which increases the risk even further. People who tend to be hostile often react to events with anger, and the resulting emotional storm leads to symptoms of depression. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 Ironically, those with elevated crp levels (indicative of active inflammation) had a normal ratio, even in depressed patients. Of course, they are considering a 4:1 ratio as being normal, yet studies show that the optimal ratio for brain health is 1:1 and no more than 2:1. In essence, both the people with normal crp and those with elevated CRPs had too much N-6 oils on board. |
Michael T. Murray
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 In those given placebo, crp levels increased 6.6 percent. crp levels decreased by 15 percent in the 10-mg group and by 47 percent in the 80-mg group. In a study with pravastatin, 40 mg daily lowered crp levels by 13 percent.21 While many physicians appear to be aware of the effect of Lipitor and Pravachol on C-reactive protein, they do not seem to be aware that vitamin E (800 IU daily) lowered C-reactive protein by 49 percent and niacin (1,500 mg at night) lowered it by 20 percent. |
Andreas Moritz
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 In the above study, the research team tracked the levels of both crp and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) in nearly 28,000 women for eight years. According to the results of the study, women with high levels of crp were twice as likely to have heart disease as those with high LDL. It also showed that many women who later suffered heart attacks would have been given a clean bill of health on the basis of their low LDL. Simply testing a person's cholesterol levels is not enough, and, in fact, may endanger his/her life. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Although the evidence is conflicting, some researchers believe that crp itself is not a risk factor, but elevated levels of crp could mean that some part of the cardiovascular system is inflamed, which can lead to stroke or heart attack. Information about crp and other new risk factors is still emerging.
Q There is ongoing debate about whether or not taking synthetic estrogen protects the heart after menopause. Some studies have suggested that it may, but there have also been studies showing it may actually increase the risk of a heart attack. |
Andreas Moritz
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| According to the results of the study, women with high levels of crp were twice as likely to have heart disease as those with high LDL. It also showed that many women who later suffered heart attacks would have been given a clean bill of health on the basis of their low LDL. Simply testing a person's cholesterol levels is not enough, and, in fact, may endanger his/her life.
CRP cannot be considered the ultimate test for heart disease either, because it can jump as much as 10-fold when a person is fighting a cold or the flu. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 As a marker of inflammation, crp has also been established as an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. crp levels between 3-10 pg/ml are suggestive of the inflammatory process caused by the formation of atherosclerosis. Levels greater than 10 ug/ml suggest other types of inflammation that can occur with such conditions as arthritis or other infection. Common culprits are gingivitis, vaginitis, and prostatitis.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6): It stimulates an immune response to trauma and is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. |
Steven V. Joyal
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| For optimal health, crp values need to be less than 1.0 mg/dL. For example, recent findings reported in the New England Journal of Medicine show that people who attain the lowest levels of crp and LDL significantly reduce the rate of heart attack.
How to Improve Your Test Results
The good news is that you can reduce your risk of future complications by identifying health problems early on and by making lifestyle modifications and other steps as outlined in detail in the upcoming chapters. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| As a marker of inflammation, crp has also been established as an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. crp levels between 3-10 pg/ml are suggestive of the inflammatory process caused by the formation of atherosclerosis. Levels greater than 10 ug/ml suggest other types of inflammation that can occur with such conditions as arthritis or other infection. Common culprits are gingivitis, vaginitis, and prostatitis.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6): It stimulates an immune response to trauma and is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. |
| Levels of crp rise substantially when there's inflammation or acute or chronic infection, with things like gingivitis, prostatitis, or vaginal infections. It's also an important predictor of cardiovascular risk because you're more prone to plaque rupture and clotting. A primitive immune system that's more like a shark's than a sophisticated one like a mammal's, crp doesn't pinpoint exactly where inflammation is, but it does indicate whether inflammation or some type of infection is present. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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| In essence, both the people with normal crp and those with elevated CRPs had too much N-6 oils on board.
Another explanation for the lack of different ratios in those with elevated crp is that they were most likely sicker, and we know that free radicals and lipid peroxidation products can also cause depression, especially when diets are antioxidant poor. Importantly, low levels of N-3 fatty acids in the plasma increased the risk of depression in most elderly people. |
Michael T. Murray and Michael R. Lyon
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| In particular, the Mediterranean diet can be quite effective in lowering crp levels to normal. If you follow its basic dietary recommendations, your crp level should easily fall into the normal range. In addition, recent population-based studies have shown carotene-rich foods are protective against a decline in muscle strength and walking disability as we get older. Good sources of carotenes include dark-colored vegetables such as carrots, squash, spinach, kale, tomatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes; and fruits such as tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, apricots, and citrus. |
Byron J. Richards, CCN
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| The crp test is reflective of the inflammatory problems induced by leptin, as elevated TNFa drives up crp. The crp test is backed by overwhelming scientific agreement to support it as a useful marker for heart disease risk.
Leptin blood tests are not important for most people in order to understand if they have a problem with leptin. All a person has to do is look in the mirror, a rather inexpensive test. |
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