When you get up early morning to find body swelling that persist for longer time, immediately you visit a doctor. After examining you completely GP will tell you to under go CRP test or C-reactive protein testas preventive health check up for inflammation, which can literally save your life because, C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance produced by the liver in response to inflammation. C-reactive protein is also called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, which may be shortened to HS-CRP, US-CRP, or simply CRP. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP), which can be measured in your blood, increases when there's inflammation in your body. C-Reactive Protein test measures the concentration of a special type of protein produced in the liver from blood serum. This protein is present particularly during period of acute inflammation or infection. In the body, CRP interacts with the complement system, an immunologic defense mechanism. Apart from this Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and plasma viscosity (PV) are blood tests that detect inflammation. These are useful tests to help diagnose and monitor the activity of certain diseases, most probably are included under complete health check up packages.
Your doctor may suggest C-reactive protein test for the treatment of infections or for other medical conditions like chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, risk of heart disease, trauma, burns, atherosclerosis as well as certain types of cancers. In one clinical study of 18,000 healthy adults, a high level of CRP was associated with a risk of heart attack three times higher than average. In persons with atherosclerosis the burden of plaques in the body can be proportional to the degree of CRP elevation. A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test, which is more sensitive than a standard test, also can be used to evaluate your risk of developing coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries of your heart are narrowed. Coronary artery disease can eventually lead to a heart attack.
When CRP in the blood is increasing, suggesting the presence of inflammation but it will not able to identify its location or the condition causing it. This test can be used to determine the efficiency of the treatment, for example in the person suffering from the inflammation due to bacterial infection initially the CRP level is elevated and as the treatment will progress then it will drop, this indicates that the inflammation is subsiding due to appropriate treatment.
Administering the Test from best pathology labs in India :
The best part of this test is no special preparation needed as you can follow your normal routine on the day of the test. Also, you do not have to go anywhere as BCT i.e. Blood collection technician will visit your home to draw blood from a vein.
First, the skin over the vein will be cleaned with antiseptic. Next, the nurse or health practitioner will wrap an elastic band around your arm, causing your veins to bulge out slightly. Then, the practitioner will insert a small needle into the vein and collect your blood in a sterile vial.
Once your blood sample has been collected, the elastic band will be removed and you’ll be asked to apply pressure to the puncture site with gauze. Tape or a bandage may be used to hold the gauze in place.
What is normal range of CRP ? & What are Abnormal results?
C-reactive protein is measured in milligrams of CRP per liter of blood (mg/L). Optimal CRP levels for everyone to strive for are under 0.55 mg/L in men and under 1.0 mg/L in women. With the hs-CRP test, a result of lower than 1.0 mg/L is associated with a low risk of developing cardiovascular disease; average risk of developing cardiovascular disease is associated with a level between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L; and high risk for cardiovascular disease is linked to hs-CRP above 3.0 mg/L.
An especially high CRP reading (greater than 10 mg/L) may indicate:
- an infection
- an arthritis flare-up
- inflammatory bowel disease
- tuberculosis
- lupus or other connective tissue/immune disease
- cancer
- Pneumonia
Remember that this test does NOT provide a complete picture of your risk for cardiovascular disease. Your doctor may order a cholesterol test, a stress test, or a coronary angiogram to further pinpoint your risk for coronary artery disease.
No comments:
Post a Comment