Hello

My name is Behnam and this is the 10th episode of the podcast... good luck.

In this episode, we want to talk about a subject that you may have seen less, but you have seen its name in the blood test...

Well, the topic of this episode of our podcast is CRP, or activated protein.

Active protein C or CRP is a substance in the liver that is synthesized in response to inflammation.

High-sensitivity activated protein C and highly sensitive activated protein C are other names used for CRP.

High levels of CRP in the blood are a sign of inflammation... Elevated CRP levels can be caused by a wide range of diseases, from infections to cancer.

The Medical Health Study found that in healthy adult men, those with high CRP levels were three times more likely to have a heart attack than men with low CRP levels. This study included men with no prior history of heart disease.

The Harvard Women's Health Study showed that increased CRP levels are more effective in predicting coronary artery disease and stroke in women than increased cholesterol.

Doctors may order this test along with other tests to assess a person's risk of heart disease or stroke.. In addition, new research shows that CRP can be used as a predictor of health outcomes related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ... Doctors may also order the CRP test to diagnose inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• articular rheumatism
• Lupus

According to the expert opinion of the American Heart Association after reviewing all risk factors in 2013, people with CRP greater than or equal to 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) are likely to need more careful monitoring and treatment for heart disease.

Maybe you have heard about the CRP test and its result to check the corona disease.... Let's listen to the music and come back and talk about CRP and the diagnosis of the corona virus.. The new emergence of the corona virus, doctors use this test to check the level of corona infection in infected patients... According to scientific findings, there is a direct relationship between the level of lung infection and the level of CRP.

Actually, high levels of protein C have been seen in 86% of corona patients. Also, according to the deterioration of the patient's condition, a direct relationship with the level of protein C was observed.

Of course, a very important and significant point is that the CRP test cannot definitively confirm that a patient is infected with the corona virus... because this test measures the level of inflammation and infection by any type of bacteria or virus can cause this effect.

Now, some questions that may have occurred to you while listening to this episode:

1- How is the protein C test done?

There is no need for special preparation to perform this test.... You can eat as usual on the day of the test.

A nurse or intern draws blood from a vein, usually a vein in the elbow or the back of the hand.

2- What do the CRP test results show?

Active protein C is measured as milligrams of CRP per liter of blood (mg/L). In general, a low level of active protein C is better than a high level because it indicates less inflammation in the body.

A reading of less than 1 mg/L indicates a low risk of cardiovascular disease. A reading between 1 and 2.9 mg/L means an average risk of disease. A reading of more than 3 mg/L means a high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Note that CRP levels may also be high in people taking birth control pills. However, other signs of inflammation are not necessarily abnormal in these individuals.

High levels of CRP in pregnancy can be a sign of complications, but more studies are needed to fully understand the role of CRP and pregnancy.

If you are pregnant or have a chronic infection or other inflammatory disease, a CRP test is unlikely to accurately assess your risk of heart disease.

See more: Best internal medicine doctor

3- What should be done if CRP is high?

Decreasing CRP levels is not a guaranteed way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular or autoimmune diseases.

It is important to know that an elevated CRP level is what doctors refer to as a biomarker...a biomarker is a factor to consider when analyzing a person's health, but is not an independent indicator of a specific diagnosis.

4- What blood solution is there to reduce CRP?

Research shows that a healthy eating pattern can be effective in lowering CRP levels.. The Mediterranean diet has always been proven to lower CRP levels... If you are at risk for heart disease, eating a healthy diet should be part of your lifestyle.

Vitamin C has also been investigated as a way to lower CRP levels in people who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Probiotics may also have a positive effect in reducing CRP.