THE ABCS OF CRP

One of the most common blood tests for inflammation is the CRP test, for C-Reactive Protein.

When your body is experiencing inflammation, such as after an ankle sprain or the start of an infection, your liver will begin to secrete large amounts of CRP. These proteins rush to the site of the inflammation like a nano-ambulance, and begin performing quick triage, stopping any pathogens and calling in immune cells for backup.

Like the sed rate, a test for CRP doesn’t tell physicians why you have inflammation; it simply shows whether inflammation is present. In addition to inflammation, a CRP test is commonly used to assess your risk of heart disease, because people with high levels of CRP are yikes! three times more likely to have a heart attack.