What’s the Treatment for C-Reactive Protein?

C reactive protein treatment: It is a substance produced by the liver against the presence of inflammation in the human body. C-reactive protein, in the medical industry, is also called CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP).

The protein is a marker of low-grade inflammation and a predictor of one’s risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart stroke, etc. Physicians claim that C-reactive protein test is highly non-specific as levels can be elevated due to the existence of any inflammatory condition in the body.

What does it mean to have a high CRP?

A high level of CRP can be caused due to a plethora of conditions including pregnancy, lupus, autoimmune arthritis, a number of infections, and cancer. The physician believes that high levels of C-reactive protein in the blood can be directly related to increased chances of a human suffering from a heart attack or a stroke. Furthermore, elevated levels of bad cholesterol are made for common risk factors. High levels of CRP also indicate the development of Type 2 diabetes in an individual.

A physician orders a C-reactive protein test in collaboration with other tests to get concrete results. The veterans of the medical science suggest that the test type can be used for predicting health outcomes that are linked to a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

What should you do if you have high CRP?

There’s no guarantee that physicians can lower down CRP levels. It’s important to note that high CRP is what doctors call a “biomarker.” A biomarker is used for analysing a person’s health, but it is not a standalone indicator of a particular diagnosis.

If you’re at a higher risk of developing a cardiovascular disease and your test results show high CRP levels, your physician may suggest some related medicines to lower the levels. Vitamin is one such component that smartly helps in reducing both the CRP levels and cardiovascular diseases. Many recent studies suggest that probiotics may also have a positive effect on lowering the CRP levels of the body.

CRP blood test & C-reactive protein high symptoms

The C-reactive protein is measured in milligrams of CRP per liter of blood (mg/L). A low C-reactive protein level indicates less inflammation in the body. Here’s what the C- reactive protein results indicate:

• A reading of less than 1 mg/L indicates you’re at lower risk of having a cardiovascular disease.
• Reading between the ranges of 1- 2.9 mg/L shows you are at an intermediate risk.
• A reading higher than 3 mg/L means you are at an increased risk of developing a cardiovascular disease.
• A reading above 10 mg/L means that you may need further testing processes to determine the reason of such significant inflammation in your body.

A CRP reading greater than 10 mg/L poses an alarming situation and usually indicates the presence of the following conditions:

• Osteomyelitis or a bone infection, or
• An autoimmune arthritis flare-up
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Connective tissue disease, lupus, or other autoimmune diseases
• Cancer, especially lymphoma
• Pneumonia or other significant infection

The C-reactive protein (CRP) levels may also be higher than usual, if a woman is taking birth control pills. The increased CRP in pregnancy may be a marker for complications.

However, a CRP blood test is unlikely to accurately assess your risk for heart diseases during pregnancy or any other chronic infection or inflammatory disease. In such a condition, it is recommended to consult with your doctor at the earliest. CRP blood test can also be done for detecting cancer, which is popularly known as  a CRP blood test for cancer.

Please note that this test doesn’t provide a complete picture of your risk for cardiovascular disease. And, your physician might consider other factors to get a clear picture of your health, like your lifestyle other medical conditions, risk factors, and family medical history when determining the best suitable follow-up tests for you.

The doctor may order to perform the following tests, depending on your health conditions:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Echocardiogram
• Stress test
• CT scans of the coronary arteries
• Heart catheterization

What are the risks with the CRP blood test?

There is typically negligible risk associated with this test. The least complications one can encounter are as follows:

• Light-headedness or dizziness
• Excessive bleeding
• Infection at the puncture site

C reactive protein treatment

The treatment of an elevated C reactive protein (CRP) for cardiovascular disease, may be meaningless. Instead, appropriate treatment & prevention of the underlying risks and conditions need to be the primary focus for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Here are some of the effective and reliable ways to reduce cardiac factors for C reactive protein treatment:

• Regular exercise
• Balanced diet
• Cigarette smoking cessation

In the C reactive protein treatment, the CRP level can be reduced in individuals with known cardiovascular disease who begin with aspirin therapy. The use of aspirin is not generally recommended to those without known cardiovascular disease or significant risk factors for it. In some of the cases, diabetes medications have also been used to lower the CRP levels in people with or without diabetes mellitus.

It is necessary to note that in extreme cases, the person might go for a customized C reactive protein treatment as per a physician’s suggestion.

What is Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?

It is a type of arthritis that can affect anyone at any age. But, it is most prevalent among middle aged women. It causes severe pain and swelling in the joints.

It is tough to confirm a Rheumatoid Arthritis disease as there’s no single test to confirm it. But a comprehensive diagnosis can be performed by measuring C reactive protein (CRP) levels in your blood. Performing Rheumatoid Arthritis blood test is the only way to reach a diagnosis. Doctors may look at multiple other criteria besides blood test results when determining the diagnosis.

Here’s the list of criteria for diagnosing C reactive protein Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA):

• Lab tests, such as cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody and the rheumatoid factor antibody.
• The level of swelling and pain in your joints or morning stiffness.
• The duration of your symptoms.
• X-ray results of feet and hands to check for erosions or bone damage.