You can listen to the Health Quest Podcast with Steve Lankford and read the original article here.
From Health Quest Podcast:
I have been preaching about this test for at least a decade or more, ever since I first learned about it. I have had the test several times because I wanted to know if I had any sub clinical inflammation going on. I have recommended the C-Reactive Protein test to many people as a benchmark test for inflammation. Dr. Jaffe has confirmed for me that this is good advice. In this interview we will explore inflammation and its relationship to the CRP. Dr. Jaffe will also discuss a newer and better test: High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HS C-RP). In this post when I use CRP, I am referring the high sensitivity test.
As one of the eight predictive biomarker tests, we can learn several things from the CRP. If you are in the normal range then your inflammation process is under control and is working normally. This is what you want. If this is your result then you can feel really good about your health. Everything is working well. If your results are out of range then you have to figure out why and what to do about it. If it is highly out of range then you probably already know what your challenge is.
One of the reasons inflammation is so devastating is that chronic, highly active inflammation from one cause will adversely affect many other structures and functions in the body. One problem will lead to others. The drugs used to treat the disease will likely contribute to additional problems. The drugs cannot heal chronic inflammation. Only your body can do that and only if you put into place that which leads to healing. The good news is that even serious, chronic conditions can be dramatically improved in a few months with the serious application of a healing lifestyle, diet, and supplementation. In the interview I mentioned the journey back to health of my wife. I’ve told this story previously as she is my best example of how nutrition can reverse a chronic auto-immune inflammatory disease. So I know the power of the targeted application of nutritional science to support healing and restoration.
Dr. Jaffe described the process like this: First remove the cause. Second, evoke the healing response. Third, remove obstacles to healing. The trick is knowing how to do this. Hopefully you have a health provider who understands the natural process. If not, you can contact PERQUE for referrals in your area.
Dr. Jaffe will explain what CRP is and the high sensitivity CRP test that he recommends.
“C-Reactive Protein is one of the first widely-available tests that offers a tangible marker of inflammation. The High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein test measures very low amounts of CRP in the blood providing much more precise and accurate readings. When CRP is high, that is a definite indication of an inflammatory process present throughout the body. (Note: In some cases inflammation is present, yet CRP is not elevated.) CRP levels are considered elevated when greater than .5 mg/L.
When inflammation persists, that is almost always a feature of sub clinical disease—a process smoldering below the surface that is not yet detectable, but in which tissue damage is occurring.
High CRP levels are common in pre-diabetes and diabetes, reflecting insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome—all conditions associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated CRP levels can also indicate a longterm infection. It is also an important marker of cardiovascular risk.
As a predictive biomarker, CRP reflects the effectiveness and efficiency of immune defenses, which are responsible for neutralizing any sign of infection, repairing daily wear and tear, and identifying and eliminating cancerous cells.” Dr. Jaffe