Inflammation,cholesterol,C-reactive protein,heart health,arterial health

Test for Inflammation Not Just Cholesterol

Why are inflammation markers important?

Inflammation is an internal process that occurs as a result of an injury and causes swelling, redness, pain and heat in your body – think of a sprained ankle or even a sore strep throat. Even though you may not feel pain or see swelling, inflammation can occur in your arteries as well. Arterial inflammation (injury to arterial walls) can lead to increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Along with knowing your cholesterol and triglycerides numbers, inflammation markers such as Fibrinogen, hsCRP, and Lp-PLA₂ can assist in guiding your provider’s therapy choices to help reduce your risk of cardiac events.

hsCRP or C-Reactive Protein (high sensitivity)

hsCRP is considered a "systemic" inflammatory marker, meaning that there can be many causes for its elevation. For instance, a sinus infection or even arthritis can cause high CRP levels. An elevated hsCRP (value greater than 3 mg/dl) can contribute to cardiovascular risk.

Fibrinogen

Fibrinogen is a type of protein that is involved in helping promote blood clotting, and it is elevated (value greater than 350 mg/dl) when there is inflammation in the body. Fibrinogen can be elevated for many reasons, such as tobacco use, some medications, trauma to the body, or carrying too much weight around your waist. It is a risk factor for progression of cardiovascular disease and stroke and becomes a more serious risk factor if other risk factors, such as hsCRP are also elevated.

Lp-PLA₂

Different than hsCRP or Fibrinogen, Lp-PLA₂ is a test that is specific for inflammation in the walls of arteries and is an indicator that plaque may be in danger of rupturing. A high level of Lp-PLA₂ (value greater than 223 ng/ml) can identify a person at risk of coronary events. If both hsCRP and Lp-PLA₂ levels are elevated, your risk for heart disease and stroke is 2-4 times higher, depending on how high both of those levels are (1).

What can we do to lower inflammation?

The good news is that inflammation and its damaging effects can be reduced! Talk with your physician about possible changes you can make in nutrition choices, physical activity, medications, and stress levels. Dietary changes, such as consuming foods low in saturated fat and simple sugars while high in antioxidants help to fight inflammation in your arteries. Being physically active on a daily basis helps reduce blood pressure and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which could result in less inflammation to artery walls.

Your doctor can guide nutrition and exercise recommendations based on your full medical history.