Are you concerned about your risk for heart disease? Has your doctor ever measured your CRP level?
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a globular protein produced by the liver that increases in response to inflammation. Persistently elevated CRP levels are widely used as a marker of low-grade, systemic inflammation and have been linked with increased cardiovascular risk.
A large prospective study published in Circulation (2005; 112(1):25–31) followed 3,971 men and women for approximately 10 years. The researchers found that higher CRP levels were associated with a greater incidence of coronary heart disease over the study period.
Inflammation Affects Cognition
Inflammation may also play a role beyond cardiovascular health. A meta-analysis published in The Lancet Neurology (2005; 4(6):371–380) examined CRP levels in relation to neurological and cognitive outcomes. Elevated CRP was associated with cognitive impairment, depression, and an increased incidence of stroke. In studies lasting longer than eight years, individuals in the highest quartile of CRP levels had approximately a 70% higher risk of stroke compared with those in the lowest CRP quartile. The brain is especially vulnerable to inflammation.
Taken together, these findings suggest that CRP is more than a short-term marker of acute inflammation and may reflect longer-term inflammatory processes associated with cardiovascular and neurological risk.
