CRP Testing For Heart

CRP stands for C - reactive protein. This is a protein that is created in the liver. CRP is a protein that falls under the category of acute phase reactant. An acute phase reactant is a substance that reacts to an acute condition in the body. Typically, this acute condition is an inflammation that may be caused by an injury or a disease. In the case of CRP, the acute phase reaction for this protein is the increase in CRP production.

A CRP test can be conducted to test the level of this protein in the blood. A CRP test is a standard blood test as far as the patient is concerned. The laboratory will test the blood using different methods to identify the presence of and quantify the amount of CRP in the blood. There are a few conditions that affect the human body which can cause an elevated CRP level. These conditions include inflammatory conditions, infections which cause inflammation, burns and certain heart conditions.

The CRP test for heart disease is a useful test to judge the risk of a person developing a dangerous heart condition. During a general health checkup, the level of cholesterol and triglycerides is measured. This is part of what is known as a lipid profile. The elevation in the level of low density lipoproteins is considered to be a high risk factor for heart disease. In recent times tests like the CRP test are used along with such lipid profile tests.

When the blood vessels in the body get blocked due to poor health or excessive cholesterol, they tend to become injured.  This injury causes the formation of plaques and mild inflammation in the area of injury. This in turn reduces the width of the blood vessels concerned and causes a blood pressure imbalance. The reduced width means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood across the body. The CRP test is therefore used to check whether there is an inflammation in the body. When this test is combined with the standard lipid profile it would provide a vital result that could be used to judge the risk of that an individual faces for developing a potentially fatal heart condition.

The CRP test is recommended for many other conditions as well and is easy to conduct, making it a valuable and preferred method of testing individuals, even after a condition has been treated.