C-REACTIVE PROTEIN

This is a kind of protein that both promotes and reflects inflammation levels in our body. It is elevated in the bloodstream in a number of varied diseases. New research has shown that elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are a major risk factor for heart disease, possibly being more significant than cholesterol levels. CRP is an independent marker for future cardiovascular disease, meaning even if you have a low or normal cholesterol level, you are at great risk of heart disease if you have high CRP levels. Your doctor can easily order a blood test to check you CRP level.

The New England Journal of Medicine published an article stating that inflammation is a better indicator of who will have a heart attack than high cholesterol. In this study almost 28 000 healthy postmenopausal women had blood tests and were monitored for eight years. The women with high levels of CRP were twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as the women with high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol! A study done on men published in the same journal showed that men with the highest CRP levels had three times the number of heart attacks and two times the amount of ischemic strokes as men with normal levels. The really interesting fact is that the incidence was independent of other risk factors including blood fat levels and smoking!

The theory is that having high CRP levels means you have chronic inflammation in the walls of your coronary arteries. This inflammation makes it more likely that fatty particles and immune cells will be attracted to the artery wall in an effort to repair the damage. This sets the stage for the development of a fatty plaque and full blown atherosclerosis. High blood levels of CRP indicate that you are more likely to have a heart attack, and the higher your level, the less likely you are to survive that heart attack. Recent studies have also shown that high CRP levels increase the chance of an artery re-closing after it has been opened by balloon angioplasty.

What causes elevated C-reactive protein?

The following conditions are most likely responsible for high CRP:

• Chronic or acute infections.

• Autoimmune disease.

• Allergies.

• Obesity.

• Diabetes mellitus.

• Consuming trans fatty acids (hydrogenated vegetable oil) and oils high in omega 6 fats, such as soybean, corn, safflower, cottonseed and sunflower oils.

• Diets high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and high glycaemic foods, such as white bread, potatoes, biscuits and breakfast cereals.

• Cigarette smoking.

• Lack of antioxidant nutrients in the diet.

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