C-Reactive Protein (CRP) May Predict Heart Attack
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein produced by the liver when there is inflammation somewhere in the body. People with high levels of CRP may be at higher risk for an acute coronary event (heart attack) and death but not stroke, according to a study published in the October 20, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
According to the scientists, testing for this protein – which is released into the bloodstream when the blood vessels leading to the heart are damaged – adds to the predictive value of screening blood samples for both total and HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Thus C-reactive protein testing may improve doctors’ ability to predict heart disease risk.
The study involved 2,240 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. A CRP test is done on a sample of blood taken from a vein. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors. They were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths.
The researchers found that people with C-reactive protein levels greater than 3 mg/L were 70 % more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 % more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of less than 1 mg/L of the protein in their blood. The researchers suggest that the CRP itself is not the cause of heart disease but may merely be an indicator of its existence.
Researchers will continue to explore among older adults who don’t have the traditional warning signs of dangerously clogged arteries, such as previous episodes of chest pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a history of smoking. Every year, nearly 900,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease, the nation’s leading killer. But 50 percent of people who suffer heart attacks have no warning signs. These results suggest a possible association between acute episodic inflammation and cardiovascular events.
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