Contents:
Medical Video: DId You Know?: CRP and Heart Inflammation
It turns out that the production of C-Reactive protein can play an important role in predicting the risk of heart disease
One study found that a key component of heart disease is inflammation or blockage and researchers also believe that chronic blood vessels that are blocked can cause atherosclerosis (arterial inflammation). Patch the inflamed can stick and begin to form plaques. In the article entitled "The Fire Within", Uncle Sam's scientists report that so far, the way people think about plaques - and the background of blockages that affect arteries - has changed in recent years:
"[Unlike previous years], almost all doctors are sure to describe atherosclerosis as a circulatory problem only: Fat-laden glunk gradually formed on the surface of the passive wall of the artery. If a deposit (plaque) has grown correctly, it will result in the closure of the affected 'pipe' and can prevent blood from the intended tissue. After that, the 'starving' blood network will die. When a part of the heart muscle or brain stops functioning, then a stroke or heart attack will occur.
Some believe this research can explain something. The investigation, which began more than 20 years, found that arteries have little resemblance to pipes. This artery contains living cells that routinely interact with others, as well as with their environment. These cells participate in the development and growth of deposits atheroschlerotic, which appears inside and not on the walls of blood vessels. Furthermore, this 'deposit' is relatively small so that it can shrink blood flow to pinpoint. Most heart attacks and strokes occurs not because of sudden ruptured plaques, but triggers the appearance of blood clots, or thrombus which makes blood flow clogged. "
How well can CRP predict heart disease?
Some scientists have examined that CRP (C-Reactive Protein) can turn out to be a strong predictor for predicting heart disease, such as cholesterol levels in the human body. This was motivated by a study of 28,000 women who had never experienced previous coronary disease (heart attack, angina unstable, or sudden cardiac function death), and this news was published inside New England Journal of Medicine. Surprisingly, this study found that high CRP levels were a stronger predictor than high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body.
After equating several variables, such as age, smoking status, and diabetes, it was found that women who had high CRP levels would have a heart attack or stroke 2 times greater than women who had low CRP levels. Conversely, women in groups with high LDL levels are only at risk 1 or 1½ times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to women with low cholesterol.
This study was able to answer the questions of previous researchers. If someone has high cholesterol and high CRP levels, this will predict heart disease. However, if someone has a low cholesterol level, but has a high CRP level, it is not possible if he will not experience a heart attack or stroke.
As many study populations continue to display the relationship between increased CRP levels and heart problems, researchers also argue about high levels of stimulating CRP atherosclerosis. For example, a 2008 study with more than 10,000 people who had high CRP types based on the genes they carried, did not find facts about the increased risk of disease ischemic vascular, or problems caused by narrowed blood vessels.
In addition, a review from scientists at University College, London in 2011, from 83 scientific studies of CRP and heart disease involving more than 60,000 patients, it was concluded that many studies were biased (less scientific) and no clinical recommendations could be made thereafter.
Should We Do a CRP Test or Not?
For those of you who have a low risk of heart disease, this test is not recommended. However, if you are at an intermediate risk level - where you have a 10–20% chance of having a heart attack, stroke, sudden cardiac function death, or unstable angina The next 10 years - experts advise you to take this test. This is useful for your doctor, to determine the treatment that is right for you in the future. If you are at a high risk, you are advised to immediately take intensive care without having to do a CRP test, because the test is not very useful.
To test for CRP levels as a risk factor for heart disease, doctors use high sensitivity CRP assay (HS-CRP), which is more accurate than the previous version, which only measures other blood clots. The score that appears after the test is recommended to be below 1 mg / L. If you are between 1.0 and 3.0 mg / L, you are at medium risk and if your score is above 3.0 mg / L, you are at high risk of developing heart disease. Tests for calculating cholesterol levels and CRP can use the same blood sample.
What causes increased CRP levels?
Some well-known risk factors for heart disease can actually increase CRP levels. According to the report on Journal Circulationsmoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and lack of exercise are associated with high CRP levels in your body. Gen also plays a role. If your parents have high CRP levels, there is a possibility that you will have them too.
What is the best way to reduce CRP?
The same way to reduce your risk of heart disease can be applied by you to reduce CRP levels. Eating fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, maintaining body weight, controlling blood pressure, and avoiding smoking are the most important ways to reduce CRP production.
Talk to your doctor about treatments that can help you. Patients given medication statin Decreasing cholesterol in high doses can also experience a decrease in CRP levels in the body and reduce the risk of having a heart attack, according to the study New England Journal of Medicine.
If a heart attack or stroke happens to you one day, this is the right time to act. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and working with a doctor, you can take care of your heart — and of course your life.
