What is crp in blood test

What is C-reactive protein (CRP)? C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein the liver produces in the presence of infection or inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. When you have an infection, the white blood cells act to fight it by producing a number of proteins, some of which stimulate the liver to produce CRP. The blood level of CRP has been used for many years to evaluate the level of inflammation or infection. How does CRP relate to cardiovascular risk? Your level of C-reactive protein can be an indicator of how at risk you are for developing cardiovascular problems. This is because the development of The value of knowing CRP levels depends on whether you fall into one of three cardiovascular risk groups: • Low risk – because of low cholesterol levels and little history of risk factors; that is, no • Intermediate risk – helpful to know CRP level, because it can provide missing piece of information for physician deciding next step in treatment • High risk – not essential to know your CRP, because you should already be combining aggressive treatment with lifestyle changes to lower your risk Measuring CRP Levels Learning your CRP involves a simple blood test and is relatively inexpensive. CRP is categorized into low, intermediate, and high: Less than 1 is low; 1-3 is intermediate; 3 or greater is high. CRP levels gradually rise with age but remain generally stable over a period of months or a few years. It is not a test you need to repeat on a regular basis. An...

Blood Tests to Diagnose Arthritis Your doctor will use several blood tests to help diagnose you with Blood tests are usually fast. The doctor sends you to a lab where a worker puts a needle into one of your veins. They take, or "draw," What it measures: Rheumatoid factor is a group of proteins your body makes when your What’s normal: 0-20 u/mL (units per milliliter of blood) What’s high: 20 u/mL or higher What it means: About 70% to 90% of people with a high reading have RA. But people without RA can still have rheumatoid factor. In general, if you have RA but don’t have high RF, your disease will be less severe. RF levels may stay high even if you go into remission. Other conditions you might have include: • A long-term infection • Bacterial endocarditis • • • • Dermatomyositis • • • • Sjögren’s syndrome Learn more about the Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) What it measures: Proteins your body makes when there is What’s normal: 20 u/mL or less What it means: This test offers a way to catch RA in its early stages. Levels are high in people who have RA or those who are about to get it. A positive test means there’s a 97% chance you have RA. If you have anti-CCP antibodies, your Other conditions you might have: None. This test is used only to look for RA. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) What it measures: The speed at which your red blood cells clump and fall together to the bottom of a glass tube within an hour. Your doctor might call it a sed rate. What’s n...

"We now know that obesity is associated with increased inflammation," Dr. Levin says. If you don't have another cause of inflammation, and you have overweight or obesity even though you exercise, you should lose weight, she says. "Even if your cholesterol is not super high, obesity is a pro-inflammatory state." CRP is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L). For the standard test, under 10 mg/L is considered normal. Anything above that indicates that you have an infection or a chronic condition. With the hs-CRP test, under 2mg/L is considered lower risk and above 2mg/L is considered higher risk for heart problems.