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What Do C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test Levels Indicate?

What Do C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test Levels Indicate? (0:48)

There are specific guidelines for results of the C-reactive protein (CRP) test, which reflects inflammation related to heart disease risk. Watch women's health specialist Donnica Moore, MD, discuss what the test levels indicate with regard to risk.

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With the HSCRP when I'm looking to reflect the inflammation related to a heart disease risk, ideally we want your CRP level to be under one milligram per liter. Under one is good. In this test the lower the better. That we consider that low risk, normal or average risk would be a CRP of one to three.

However, women with a CRP of 2.7 have twice the normal risk of heart disease and stroke, and then over three milligrams per liter is considered high risk, and certainly if your level is over three your doctor would be very aggressive in their recommendations to lower your CRP level, and lower your risk.

Remember we're not treating the test, we're treating the patient.