Check out this article that appears on Alex Rinehart’s website concerning the hs-CRP test.

http://dralexrinehart.com/stress-benefits/how-can-know-if-have-hidden-heart-disease/

My advice to consumers is do NOT let your primary care doctor confine your  annual bloodwork to a minimal Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Lipid Panel.  The CRP test should be added to check for risk of heart attacks, homocysteine levels as a marker of stroke risk, 25 hydroxy Vitamin D levels, and the regular Chemistry Panel (liver, kidney functions, proteins, complete metabolic panel).

From Alex Rinehart’s web page:

“Other Signs of Vascular Inflammation:

• High iron and ferritin levels
  • Important fact: According to The Journal of Nutrition, for each 10 ug/L increase in ferritin, the risk of atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries rises by 3%, correlated with IL-6 and hs-CRP levels (2).
• High uric acid levels
• High IL-6, IL-1, IL-18
• High TNF-alpha
• High platelets”

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are inversely correlated to CRP levels.

“Plant sterols:  Plant sterols are fatty substances often derived from soy (like beta-sitosterol) that can help inhibit cholesterol absorption and support healthy LDL and HDL levels. When taken alongside omega 3’s, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that hs-CRP may drop as much as 39% (5).”  Ibid.