C - reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory protein, produced in the liver, which is the secreted as a first line of defense against any bacterial infection or viral invasion. The levels of CRP have also been found to jump in patients with heart diseases. It has been shown that levels of CRP molecules associated with inflammation are as important as levels of cholesterol in determining the development of heart diseases.

The most widely associated with CRP molecules is Atherosclerosis which leads to hardening and reduction in the diameter of the arteries. People with blood levels of CRP in the upper third of the population have almost double the risk of atherosclerosis & a "creepy" heart than the rest of the population. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease and remains the number one killer in western developed societies and its incidence is also rapidly growing in developing countries.

It has been demonstrated that whenever there is any tissue damage or an injury to the inner lining of the arteries, which might also be due to free radical oxidation, CRPs migrate to these areas and together with the Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), form fatty/wax-like substance (plaques) on these injured sites.

Over time, this narrowing prevents the blood from flowing properly through the arteries, giving rise to congestive heart failure, heart attack, or stroke. The CRP molecules also pump up the migration of White Blood Cells (WBCs) to these sites which break tiny portions of these plaques into the bloodstream. These small fragments of plaque can then be swept away to lodge in small blood vessels in the heart or brain, causing an increase in the frequency of heart attack or stroke.

Since C-reactive protein is a gauge of inflammation, a that measures C-reactive protein is evidently, quite valuable. One such test is known as the high-sensitivity CRP assay (hs-CRP). Many doctors now believe that it is important to measure hs-CRP levels along with to determine the risk of heart disease and to evaluate disease progression and prognosis in those who already have or at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

The good news is that atherosclerosis is reversible and can be prevented. Recent reports have suggested that the patients who cease to smoke, adapt to strict vegetarian diet (no meat, eggs, or other animal foods except for non-fat milk), undergo regular physical activity, have adequate stress management, & regularly monitor themselves for CRP in blood, experience a significant reduction in the degree of hardening of their coronary vessels & redeem themselves of subsequent complications that might arise following atherosclerosis.

Thus, CRP is an important marker for risk assessment in patients and should be monitored closely using CRP blood tests with the help of your doctor, because simply writing a prescription for Statins to address individual symptoms is a tunnel-vision treatment!