Description

What is the C-reactive protein?

C-reactive protein (CRP) is something that the liver makes when there is inflammation. It can be caused by a lot of different things, like arthritis, cancer, an infection, etc. . High CRP levels can also mean that your heart’s arteries have inflammation, which can make you more likely to have a heart attack.

The CRP test is very broad, though, and does not pinpoint the cause of the inflammation; it just measures the presence of it.

It’s important to know that a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test is a little different from a regular C-reactive protein test. The regular C-reactive test measures high levels of protein, which can help find diseases that cause inflammation. The hs-CRP test measures lower levels of protein, which are still high, and can show the risk of heart disease and stroke.