You have heard of total cholesterol or course. Ditto for triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. These are the biomarkers that many doctors rely on to determine whether a patient is at risk for heart disease. If they go too high and you will likely be prescribed a statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug. But what about something called CRP (C-reactive protein)? There is growing evidence that CRP and inflammation are also linked to heart attacks.
CRP and Inflammation and Also Important:
There is a growing recognition that CRP is a key player in the development of atherosclerosis. Here is a short summary in the Annals of Translational Medicine, April, 2019:
“Even though inflammation is an essential defense mechanism and body response, persistent elevation of certain pro-inflammatory biomarkers results in a chronic state of subclinical or low-grade inflammation, which has been identified as a key component in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
“In this regard, C-reactive protein (CRP) is considered an active mediator in the pathogenesis of vascular disease and a predictor of endothelial dysfunction, which is now recognized as one of the earliest reversible precursors of atherosclerosis.”
CRP and Inflammation and COVID-19:
There is also evidence that CRP and inflammation play a prominent role in severe cases of COVID-19 (Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis, Oct. 2020). Patients with high levels of CRP and other markers of inflammation are more likely to develop pneumonia and go down hill rapidly.
That is why we think people should be carefully monitored for CRP and inflammation. There are a number of ways to control inflammation and measuring CRP can help monitor progress. This reader wants to know more about this process:
What Are Normal CRP Levels?
Q. I have been hearing that something called CRP may be more important than cholesterol when it comes to heart disease. I don’t know much about it. What are normal CRP values?
My doctor says everything’s fine and that he does not have time to “chat.” But there was an opportunity to have blood work done at my college recently and my CRP was 6.7 mg/L. Isn’t that high? Is there any way to lower CRP other than taking rosuvastatin (Crestor)?
A. Research shows that the statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin lowers CRP and reduces cardiovascular events even in people who started with normal cholesterol (New England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 20, 2008). The authors found that:
“In this randomized trial of apparently healthy men and women with elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, rosuvastatin significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events, despite the fact that nearly all study participants had lipid levels at baseline that were well below the threshold for treatment according to current prevention guidelines. Rosuvastatin also significantly reduced the incidence of death from any cause.”
Are There Other Ways to Lower CRP and Inflammation?
Before this research hit the headlines, many people had never heard of CRP. This marker of inflammation should ideally be at or below 1, so yours is elevated. Many cardiologists believe that CRP above 2 calls for treatment.
Rosuvastatin can lower CRP, but some people experience side effects. You may be able to lower CRP and inflammation with exercise and weight loss. Supplements such as fish oil, vitamin D and Coenzyme Q10 may also help. Here is a message we received from another reader:
“About 10 years ago, my husband’s CRP level was high, and his vitamin D was low (in the 20s). His physician said he needed a high dose of vitamin D, so he took 5,000 units a day.
“Six months later, his vitamin D level was over 40, and his CRP had dropped to normal. He was taking fish oil daily as well. His doctor was quite surprised at the improvement in his CRP at the next office visit.”
People should follow your husbands example are track their high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP). High levels are associated with heart disease as well as infection, injury or autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.
It’s great that your husband was able to lower his CRP and inflammation by taking vitamin D and fish oil. There is evidence that vitamin D supplements can help lower inflammation (Biological Trace Element Research, Sept. 21, 2020).
You can learn more about vitamin D and its effects in our eGuide to Vitamin D and Optimal Health. This online resource is available in the Health eGuides section of this website.
You may also find our eGuide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health of interest. In it we discuss CRP and offer a list of anti-inflammatory foods and non-drug approaches for heart health.
Please share your own experience with CRP and inflammation in the comment section below.
