High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Testing for Cardiovascular Disease
C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver. CRP is a classic acute-phase reactant protein. Under normal conditions CRP is found in low levels in the blood. Levels of CRP can increase in response to inflammatory conditions, infections and other diseases where tissue death occurs. CRP is not a specific marker of inflammation. Levels of CRP can fluctuate a lot from day to day. Blood specimens for CRP are collected by venipuncture.
Conventional methods for measuring CRP in acute inflammatory diseases have a detection limit of 3 - 5 mg/L. The average CRP reading in this country is 1.5 mg/L, with lower levels being a possible indication of chronic inflammation. High sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) immunoassays can measure levels of CRP as low as 0.175 mg/L. An hs-CRP elevation can be caused by inflammatory conditions and, therefore, are not specific for individual cardiovascular disease (CVD) assessment. The results of these hs-CRP assays are being investigated in various settings for a possible association with cardiovascular disease (e.g., screening, diagnosis and management).Things to Consider
- The extent to which hs-CRP provides extra prediction of CVD beyond all the major risk factors combined is not known.
- An hs-CRP elevation can be caused by inflammatory conditions and, therefore are not specific for individual cardiovascular assessment.
Results
Will I live longer if I have this procedure?
Well-designed, randomized, controlled trials with long-term follow-up are not available to determine long-term benefits of the use of hs-CRP testing for the screening, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease.
Will the treatment of endometriosis improve my quality of life?
Long-term scientific evidence is not available to show whether hs-CRP testing will improve your quality of life.
Safety
How safe is this for me?
Currently, the safety of hs-CRP testing is not available.
Comparison
Much more information is needed before comparisons can be made regarding what, if any extent hs-CRP testing provides extra prediction of CVD beyond all the major risk factors combined.
Cost
The cost of hs-CRP testing for cardiovascular disease is approximately $50, depending on which laboratory is used.
The cost may or may not be covered by your health benefits plan.
Sources
The following are off-site links 
:
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. (2003, January). Biochemical markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.icsi.org/technology_assessment_reports_-_active/ta_biochemical_markers_of_cardiovascular_disease_risk.html.
MedlinePlus. (2009, February). C-reactive protein. Retrieved August 11, 2009 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003356.htm.
Next Review Date
08/11/2010
This document has been classified as public information.
Table of Findings
results: possible harm / no value
safety: possible harm / no value
comparison: possible harm / no value
cost: possible harm / no value
total: possible harm / no value
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