Crp labs

At Deerwood Family Practice, we emphasize the importance of annual physicals and blood work. An important test within your lab results is called C-Reactive Protein or “CRP.” This value can be added to your labs and is an indicator of inflammation.
CRP is a protein produced by your liver, usually rising in periods of acute inflammation. However, it has both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. It clears foreign pathogens but can also exacerbate tissue damage by activating an inflammatory response in your body.
There are many reasons behind elevated CRP levels, but most elevated levels are associated with infections or trauma. Other known causes include sleep issues or periodontal disease. In healthy adults, a normal level is less than 3mg/dL. Certain medications like NSAIDs or statins can falsely decrease CRP levels. High levels above 50mg/dL are most often due to infections.
CRP has been recently used as a predictive factor in conditions like Hepatitis C, dengue and malaria, but these studies are still limited. Additionally, there is believed to be some correlation between elevated CRP and cardiovascular risk, but this research is still developing as well.
At your follow-up lab review visit, your provider will be sure to highlight and discuss your CRP level with you. We look forward to seeing you and educating you about your health!

Caitlin Vandermolen FNP student
University of Southern California Class of 2025​

Reference:
Nehring SM, Goyal A, Patel BC. C Reactive Protein. [Updated 2023 Jul 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441843/