Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
    Featured Articles
    • Diets & Weight Loss
      Dr. Weil’s Guide To Popular Diets
    • Nutrition
      Is Corn Good For You?
    • Videos
      How To Eat The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
    • Nutrition
      Too Many Eggs?
    • Recipes
      Good Earth Kale Cobb
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins
  • Shop
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Subscribe
Elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Heart

Elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

Elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | Inflammation | Andrew Weil, M.D.
0 shares
4 min

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance produced by the liver that increases in the presence of inflammation in the body. An elevated C-reactive protein level is identified with blood tests and is considered a non-specific “marker” for disease. It can signal flare-ups of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and vasculitis. Data from a large number of studies also suggest that over time, chronic low-level internal inflammation can lead to many serious, age-related diseases including heart disease, some forms of cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

What are the symptoms of elevated C-reactive protein?

Elevated CRP levels have no outward, noticeable symptoms.

What are the causes of elevated C-reactive protein?

Elevated CRP can signal many different conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, infection, and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease. The chronic inflammation behind an elevated CRP level may also be influenced by genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, too much stress, and exposure to environmental toxins such as secondhand tobacco smoke. Diet has a huge impact, particularly one that contains a lot of refined, processed and manufactured foods.

How is elevated C-reactive protein diagnosed?

C-reactive protein levels are measured via a blood test. There are two tests for elevated CRP. One can show a non-specific elevation of CRP that occurs with general inflammatory changes in the body. The other test, hs-CRP, is a measure of inflammation in blood vessels. This is the test needed to help establish heart disease risk.

In evaluating cardiac risk, physicians look at a very narrow range of C-reactive protein levels, from zero to 3.0 and above. This requires a special test called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which may be able to reveal inflammation at the micro-vascular level. If this test shows that CRP is less than 1.0 mg per liter of blood, the risk of heart disease is considered low; if it is between 1.0 and 3.0, the risk is average; and if it is above 3.0, the risk is deemed high.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends hs-CRP testing for evaluating patients with an intermediate risk of heart disease, such as a 10-20 percent risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. However, the AHA doesn’t advise routine hs-CRP testing in patients who aren’t at high risk for heart disease. But some physicians, including Dr. Weil, believe that all adults should have an hs-CRP test whenever their cholesterol is tested.

People who have certain arthritic or autoimmune conditions tend to have elevated C-reactive protein levels because inflammation underlies these disorders. Arthritis may push test results far beyond the range used to assess heart disease risk. In most of these people, CRP levels tend to be above 100 mg/L. The hs-CRP test isn’t used for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or other autoimmune conditions. Instead, doctors evaluate inflammation with a test that measures levels in excess of 10 mg/L. When checking CRP for arthritic and autoimmune disorders, a level of 10 mg/L or lower is considered “normal.”

Because an hs-CRP test isn’t useful to assess cardiovascular risk among people with inflammatory diseases, these patients have to rely on such well-recognized risk factors as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, whether or not they smoke, their weight, and their risk of diabetes. In addition to such standard measures for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as exercise, keeping weight under control, practicing stress reduction techniques, and getting adequate sleep, Dr. Weil recommends that people with these disorders make an effort to reduce inflammation and their risk of heart disease by following an anti-inflammatory diet.

What is the conventional treatment of elevated C-reactive protein?

Conventional physicians may prescribe the same (statin) drugs used to lower LDL cholesterol to also lower levels of CRP. In addition, they will typically recommend exercise and weight loss where appropriate, since both can help lower CRP levels. In general, conventional physicians recommend the same lifestyle changes shown to reduce heart disease – diet, exercise, not smoking, drinking less alcohol, following a heart-healthy diet – to lower elevated C-reactive protein levels.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for elevated C-reactive protein?

Dr. Weil recommends an anti-inflammatory diet that includes two to three servings of fish such as salmon or sardines per week. If you don’t eat fish, he suggests taking fish oil supplements. He also recommends taking anti-inflammatory herbs including ginger and turmeric and following your doctor’s recommendations for heart health. That means quitting smoking, watching your diet (particularly avoid foods that predominantly consist of flour and/or sugar), and getting regular exercise: research indicates that as fitness levels decline, C-reactive protein levels go up.

Reviewed by Benjamin S. Gonzalez, M.D., May, 2016.

SOURCES:
mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-reactive-protein/basics/definition/prc-20014480
nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003356.htm
webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/c-reactive-protein-crp

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

Having trouble sleeping, insomnia caused by stress.
Heart

Can Lack Of Sleep Cause Heart Disease?

blood pressure test
Heart

A Pill to Prevent Heart Disease?

elevated homocysteine
Heart

Elevated Homocysteine

Baby Spinach - Vitamin B9 - Folic Acid - Folate
Vitamins

Vitamin B9 - Folate

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Trending Now

Healthy food in heart and cholesterol diet concept on vintage boards
Heart

A Natural Way to Lower Cholesterol?

blood pressure test
Heart

A Pill to Prevent Heart Disease?

a sweet new way to lower cholesterol
Heart

A Sweet New Way to Lower Cholesterol?

Defibrillator Electrodes, cardioverter.
Heart

Abnormal Heart Rhythm (Bradycardia)

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
Healthy food in heart and cholesterol diet concept on vintage boards
Heart

A Natural Way to Lower Cholesterol?

blood pressure test
Heart

A Pill to Prevent Heart Disease?

Daily Tips
Eat More Produce
Health Tips

Commit To Eating More Produce In 2021!

2018 Healthy Resolution Start A Supplement Routine
Health Tips

Not Getting The Right Nutrients? Start A Supplement Routine

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright 2021 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com