CRP test – norms, interpretation of results. Elevated CRP and disease diagnosis

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CRP is a recently used term. Until a few decades ago, almost no one heard about it, but nowadays doctors more and more often recommend checking the level of C-reactive protein during blood tests. What is the CRP test? What does its result inform about?

What is CRP?

CRP (the C Reactive Protein) is a C-reactive protein, i.e. one of the so-called proteins. acute phase, appearing in the blood as a consequence of inflammation. It is produced by inflammatory cytokines in the liver, fat cells and arterial walls. CRP proteins are markers of inflammation.

CRP – indications for the examination

CRP is performed in cases where the risk of bacterial infection increases (e.g. infection after surgery) or is suspected based on existing symptoms. CRP testing is often ordered in newborns who show signs of infection, or in patients who show signs of sepsis, such as fever, chills, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate.

CRP testing is also recommended when a medical condition assessment is needed, such as arthritis or lupus. Importantly, they can be repeated to check the effectiveness of the treatment of inflammation, which should be manifested by a decrease in CRP levels. In addition, CRP is used to monitor body damage (wounds) and conditions following surgery, organ transplants, and burns, as an early indicator of possible infection.

Do you want to check your CRP level and do other basic blood tests? Choose a comprehensive e-package of laboratory tests with consultation to assess your health and understand the interpretation of the results.

See also: What does low crp mean?

CRP – the course of the study

CRP is done by taking venous blood, usually from a vein in the arm. It is assumed that the best time to perform the test is in the morning, when the test person has not eaten anything yet. Ideally, the last meal should be eaten at least eight to twelve hours earlier. The test person should also be well hydrated, rested and relaxed.

Before the blood sample is taken, it is worth drinking a small amount of water, as it is important for the correctness of the test. It is especially important to inform the doctor before the examination about all medications systematically taken by the patient and about any diagnosed chronic diseases.

If the CRP protein test has been carried out correctly, it allows to determine whether we are dealing with inflammations or various infections and what is their origin.

What is particularly important, thanks to the CRP examination, it is possible to detect diseases related to the cardiovascular system in good time. However, it should not be forgotten that in order to detect diseases, apart from the examination itself, an interview is needed, because some circumstances influence the standard level of CRP in a given person.

To check your CRP levels, you can do a specialized test in the comfort of your own home. You can now buy a home test for CRP concentration in blood on Medonet Market.

You can check your CRP level by performing a blood test. The laboratory test package is dedicated to women and men of all ages. You can buy it on Medonet Market in a safe and convenient way. Packages available:

1. Woman’s health check – diagnostic blood tests,
2. Prophylactic blood tests for men.

Find out more: Is elevated CRP in a newborn dangerous?

CRP — standards

CRP levels rise when the body is undergoing a bacterial infection, cancer, heart attack, injury, or inflammation. C-reactive protein appears as a defensive reaction of the body, and its function is to participate in the so-called immune response, consisting in inactivating the inflammatory factor and stimulating the functions of immune cells.

The value of the circulating CRP protein in the blood depends on many factors. Gender, weight, race, age, smoking and medications are important. It is also affected by infections and diet – low carbohydrate content and vegetable oils lower CRP.

In a healthy person, the CRP concentration is not high and amounts not to more than 5 mg / l. If it exceeds 10 mg / l, it is considered that inflammation has started in the body.

Abnormalities in CRP results consults with the appropriate doctor. This can be done as part of a teleconsultation with a hematologist or an online interview with an internist.

Also check the standards CRP in a child.

CRP – Results Interpretation

As far as the interpretation of the results is concerned, in the case of a healthy person, the CRP value should be in the range from 7 to 10 mg / l. However, if a damaging factor, e.g. a pathogenic microorganism, appears, this value will start to increase after about 6-8 hours and will be classified as acute phase proteins, the so-called And the throw.

CRP concentration reaches its highest value in the range of 24 to 48 hours and can then increase even 100-1000 times, and then returns to the normal level within a dozen or so hours. Protein returns to baseline levels within 7 to 10 days of stopping treatment. However, it should be remembered that the CRP value may also be influenced by factors such as gender, body weight, degree of body fat, diet, exercise, taking certain medications, alcoholism and smoking. As a result, the test results may be distorted, therefore, in the interpretation of the results, those above 10 mg / l are considered clinically relevant.

The level of C-reactive protein is measured in milligrams of CRP per liter of blood (mg / l). Interestingly, a low CRP value is better than a high value because it indicates less inflammation in the body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a reading below 1 mg / L indicates a low risk of cardiovascular disease. A reading of between 1 and 2,9 mg / L, on the other hand, means that the person is at moderate risk. If the reading is greater than 3 mg / l, the test person is at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. If the reading is above 10 mg / l, it may be a signal for further research to answer the question of what is the cause of the inflammation.

Such a high CRP value may indicate: osteomyelitis or bone infection, tuberculosis, IBD, lupus, connective tissue disease or some autoimmune disease, exacerbation of autoimmune arthritis, pneumonia, and even cancer (with particular indication for lymphoma).

One cannot forget about the possibility of an increased CRP level in women caused by taking birth control pills. Increased CRP levels can also be observed in pregnant women, then this condition may indicate complications, although additional tests should be performed to be sure.

CRP tests and other parameters important for pregnant women and the proper development of the child can be found in the Pregnancy Testing – Blood Test Package available on Medonet Market.

Before you have a CRP test, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor beforehand and discuss any medical conditions that may affect your test results. It is important to bear in mind that the CRP test does not provide a complete picture of the risk of cardiovascular disease.

It is important that a doctor’s consultation will take into account lifestyle risk factors, other medical conditions, and family history when determining which tests will be best for you. In case of risk of cardiovascular disease, tests such as echocardiogram, computed tomography of the coronary arteries, stress test, cardiac catheterization or electrocardiogram (EKG) may be ordered.

we recommend: What does elevated CRP in pregnancy mean?

CRP – increased CRP

Increased CRP is said to be when it exceeds established and defined standards in the collected sample. In adults, an elevated CRP value is considered to be above 5 mg / lexcept for smokers, obese or suffering from hypertension, for which the norm is a result not exceeding 10 mg / l. In older children, an elevated CRP value is considered to be above 10 mg / l. As in the case of adults, the interpretation of the result should be left to the doctor (in this case, a pediatrician) who will assess the result in the context of the child’s condition and medical history data.

CRP increases when the examined person has an infection of a greater or lesser severity. How much it is elevated shows the type of infection and the patient’s condition, and therefore gives a clue as to the use of a given treatment.

It should be remembered that such an elevated CRP may suggest malignant disease. Therefore, it is very important to undertake further diagnostics if necessary. In addition, the condition of CRP is also a very important indicator in the diagnosis of a heart attack, especially when it is accompanied by other symptoms.

It’s also important to remember that CRP can change significantly over the course of a day or two. This makes it worth monitoring them carefully. In acute bacterial infections, CRP levels may be high, which would also suggest malignancy. However, if treatment is initiated, the result may return quickly, which is a sign that the treatment is effective.

Also check: What does high CRP mean in a child?

High CRP and disease diagnosis

Testing the concentration of C-reactive protein is used for diagnostics, because it detects disorders in the proper functioning of the body early – often before noticeable symptoms appear. In the case of infection with Gram-negative bacteria (including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori), it can reach even 500 mg / l or more. Infection with Gram-positive bacteria (staphylococcus, streptococcus, tuberculosis) or parasites increases CRP to about 100 mg / l, while viruses raise it to about 50 mg / l.

The highest concentration of CRP occurs in patients with malignant neoplasms – especially tumors of the hematopoietic system. Sometimes these are three-digit numbers and greater. If the CRP blood test results show a high level of C-reactive protein, doctors immediately start looking for a neoplastic process that, apart from an elevated CRP level, has not yet produced any other symptoms (apart from an altered ESR level).

However, it should be remembered that the CRP test is not useful in the diagnosis of neoplasms, its level is influenced by too many other factors. Low CRP does not exclude the presence of neoplasm, and its increased level should direct the diagnosis towards infectious and inflammatory diseases in the first place. Moreover, the CRP protein is a very plastic molecule: the norm can increase up to a thousandfold in 24 or 48 hours – this is the case during acute bacterial or viral infections and after serious injuries.

Quantitative CRP testing is of less diagnostic value in the case of chronic inflammatory diseases, e.g. rheumatic diseases, as the CRP value may vary from 10 to 1000 mg / l. However, diagnostically important is the fact that the level of CRP is related to the extent and activity of the inflammatory process – monitoring of changes in the concentration of C-reactive protein (decrease or increase) informs about the stage of inflammation, its extinction or failure of therapy.

High CRP levels are also associated with type 2 diabetes, as it increases the risk of cardiovascular events.

Read more on elevated CRP levels.

CRP and cardiovascular diseases

Recently, the level of CRP protein has also been taken into account in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. They are used to assess the risk of the so-called cardiovascular events, e.g., myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and sudden cardiac death. It turns out that there is a relationship between the risk of coronary heart disease and the level of CRP in the patient’s blood.

Low levels of CRP accompany the mild inflammation that medicine associates with atherosclerosis, because the inflammatory process plays a key role in the detachment of atherosclerotic plaques, local blood clots and blockage of blood vessels. Whereas the so-called basal CRP concentration is a risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Add to this the fact that CRP levels are also associated with hypertension, low levels of “good” cholesterol and metabolic disorders that result in abdominal obesity.

There are three groups of people who are assessed for risk of cardiovascular events: the low risk group (hs-CRP is less than 1,0 mg / l) the medium risk group (1,0 to 3,0 mg / l) and the high risk group (above 3 mg / l).

Zobacz home test of CRP measurement

HS-CRP – CRP test with high sensitivity

Where do the hs-CRP standards come from? High-Sensitivity CRP is a highly sensitive CRP test that detects changes in C-reactive protein levels ranging from 0,5 to 10 mg / L. Common tests are used in studies above 10 mg / l, so if you want to measure CRP accurately and at low concentrations, the hs-CRP test should be used.

High-sensitivity CRP is used for people who are diagnosed with cancer or inflammation and who are suspected of having cardiovascular disease. It is used to assess the risk of disease in the future, the prognosis for a given patient and the decision to start treatment.

CRP should be measured twice two weeks apart. The average of both tests is used as the final result. However, it is important that they are performed when the patient is free from symptoms of ischemic heart disease. Any inflammation in your body could falsify the results. It is also useful to perform a lipid profile.

Home CRP screening

Typically, the CRP test is performed in diagnostic laboratories. However, nothing prevents you from taking advantage of CRP rapid tests, which are available in pharmacies (eg, CRP Test, CRP-SCREEN TEST, CRP Home Test). The test can be performed independently, following the information on the package, from capillary blood taken from the fingertip. The test result comes relatively quickly because it appears on the test plate after 5 minutes. You should see your doctor after the test.

You can also take advantage of packages that check both the concentration of CRP and other parameters important for health and the proper functioning of the human body. At Medonet Market you will find tests in which you will be able to order home blood donations by qualified medical personnel, incl.

1. Pre-consultation tests with a dietitian – home blood analysis,
2. Preventive examinations package – blood tests.

The influence of drugs on the concentration of CRP

Taking acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), even in high doses, does not affect the quantitative level of CRP. This is somewhat surprising as aspirin is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

The test can be performed independently, following the information on the package, from capillary blood taken from the fingertip. The test result comes relatively quickly because it appears on the test plate after 5 minutes. You should see your doctor after the test.

Patients who have high cholesterol and are treated with statins are less likely to have a heart attack, because statin not only lowers lipids, but also has anti-inflammatory properties. This is very important because studies have shown that elevated CRP and low cholesterol are more dangerous than elevated cholesterol and low CRP. CRP levels are also reduced by drugs from the group of fibrates and beta-blockers, but less effectively than statins.

Typically, the CRP test is performed in diagnostic laboratories. However, nothing prevents you from taking advantage of CRP rapid tests, which are available in pharmacies (eg, CRP Test, CRP-SCREEN TEST, CRP Home Test). The test can be performed independently, following the information on the package, from capillary blood taken from the fingertip.

The test result comes relatively quickly because it appears on the test plate after 5 minutes. You should see your doctor after the test.

CRP (C Reactive Protein) and ESR (Passive Reaction)

In the case of ESR (Biernacki’s reaction) we are talking about measuring the fall of erythrocytes, i.e. red blood cells, in a test tube with blood, which is expressed in millimeters per hour. ESR is an indirect indicator of the inflammatory response and the level of acute phase proteins. It should be added, however, that the ESR test is a less specific test than CRP. Apart from inflammation, the increased ESR is also influenced by:

1. obesity – adipose tissue is a source of interleukin 6, which is one of the proteins involved in the formation of inflammation, which means that in the case of obesity, speech is increased by ESR and CRP,
2. renal failure – in end-stage renal failure and in the case of nephrotic syndrome, patients have significantly elevated ESR values,
3. hemoglobin concentration – anemia accelerates the fall of red blood cells. ESR is also influenced by the shape of red blood cells, so the determination of ESR is unreliable in diseases with abnormal red blood cells, such as sickle cell anemia.

If there is a disproportion between the concentration of CRP and ESR, the first to take into account the possibility of false measurement due to the above-mentioned factors or pre-laboratory error (e.g. too long time from collection to delivery to the laboratory, or storing the tube in inappropriate conditions).

It should be remembered that the CRP level reacts more dynamically to the intensification of inflammation than ESR, which is characterized by a certain inertia. In the case of e.g. lupus erythematosus, the ESR value may be elevated with low blood CRP levels. It is caused by high levels of type 1 interferon, which inhibits the liver’s production of CRP.

Read more about it: ESR (Biernacki’s test) – what is it, standards, interpretation of results?

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