How Is C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Associated With the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?
Several major studies have shown that C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels in apparently healthy men and women are strongly predictive of the future risk of heart attack, stroke, sudden cardiac death as well as the development of peripheral arterial disease. In patients already suffering from heart disease, doctors can use CRP levels to determine which patients are at high risk for recurring coronary events. Since high levels of CRP are indicative of a 2-3 fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease, your doctor may want to measure your CRP level, perhaps at the same time as measuring your cholesterol level. Even after taking into account all other risk factors, those with elevated CRP levels have a risk 50-70 percent higher.
