C-Reactive Protein
(CRP)
Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test
Lowering Your C-Reactive Protien (CRP)
Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
The treatment of an elevated CRP in the context of cardiovascular disease, in and of itself, may be meaningless. Instead, appropriate treatment and prevention of the underlying risks and conditions need to be the primary focus of cardiovascular risk reduction.
The most effective and reliable ways to reduce many cardiac factors are regular exercise, balanced diet, and cigarette smoking cessation. In individuals with elevated cholesterol levels who do not reach their target cholesterol level with diet modification and proper exercise, cholesterol lowering medication may be advised by their treating physicians. Statin drugs (simvastatin [Zocor], atorvastatin [Lipitor], etc.) are in the forefront of the recommended cholesterol lowering agents. Lowering of CRP may be seen with the use of statin drugs even without significant improvement of the cholesterol profile.
What is C-reactive protein (CRP)?
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood test marker for inflammation in the body.
CRP is produced in the liver and its level is measured by testing the blood.
CRP is classified as an acute phase reactant, which means that its levels
will rise in response to inflammation. Other common acute phase reactants
include the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and
blood platelet count.
What are the main causes of an elevated C-reactive protein?
In general, the main causes of increased CRP and other markers of
inflammation are:
Is there a link between C-reactive protein (CRP) and cardiovascular disease risk?
The elevation of CRP has also been recently linked to atherosclerosis and
heart disease. Atherosclerosis, or cholesterol plaquing of the arteries, is
known to have an inflammatory component that is thought to cause the rise in CRP
levels in the blood. Atherosclerosis is also felt to be affected by age and
other cardiovascular risk factors including
diabetes mellitus,
high cholesterol,
high blood pressure, and
cigarette smoking.
In atherosclerosis, the blood vessel wall becomes injured. This injury acts
as focus of inflammation and leads to the formation of plaques in the blood
vessel walls. The plaques typically contain blood cells of inflammation,
cholesterol deposits, and debris from the injured cells in the blood vessel
lining. The accumulation of these elements leads to narrowing of the wall of the
blood vessel. The blood vessel narrowing can hinder the blood flow and the
plaque can rupture and flake off of the blood vessel wall causing blockage and
leading to strokes and
heart attacks.
The burden of plaques in the body can be proportional to the degree of CRP
elevation in persons with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques can exist in
different stages throughout the body.
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