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C-Reactive Protein
October 16, 2009 |
CRP. Three little letters sparking a huge debate among researchers about heart disease.
“It’s a marker for inflammation in your body,” explains LMHS internal medicine physician,
Dr. Aldith Lewis. CRP, otherwise known as C-Reactive Protein, acts as a defense
mechanism. If the body’s immune system feels threatened by disease or infection,
it releases CRP to ward off a potential attack. Your genetic makeup often determines
how much CRP is released.
“There are some studies that show that patients with elevated CRP levels have a
long term risk of heart disease and it’s measured by a blood test,” says Dr. Lewis.
At the heart of the current debate is an ongoing question: What do these releases
do to the body? In the past, research suggested high levels can harden the arteries
and trigger heart disease. New studies now deny those claims.
Until more concrete evidence is discovered, physicians like Dr. Lewis are looking at these levels on a case-by-case basis. “It should be used for patients who are
at intermediate or moderate risk for heart disease in order to determine the treatment
plan and how aggressive we need to be in those patients.”
Researchers do agree on this point: certain levels of CRP have been known to cause
infections and other long term diseases which is why it’s important to talk with
your doctor about your personal levels.
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