C-reactive protein (English: C-reactive protein), commonly abbreviated as CRP, is what is known as an acute-phase protein. CRP is produced by the liver and released into the bloodstream. After the onset of inflammation, the amount of CRP in the body increases within a few hours. This makes CRP valuable for determining the presence of inflammation or for monitoring the effect of medical treatment on inflammation. In addition to the usual CRP assay, an ultrasensitive CRP assay, hs-CRP; high sensitive CRP or C-reactive protein (CRP), ultra-sensitive, has entered the market, which can demonstrate very low-grade inflammation. Ultra-sensitive CRP is requested in healthy individuals to predict whether there is an increased risk of developing heart and/or vascular disease. The test is also requested in patients who have experienced a heart attack to assess severity. In cardiovascular disease, the body produces very small amounts of CRP over long periods of time. These small amounts cannot be detected by the current CRP test, which is why the new ultrasensitive CRP determination has come on the market. This test cannot indicate where the focus of inflammation is. Several recent studies have revealed that the hs-CRP, particularly when determined in combination with total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, is a strong predictor of future coronary disease in apparently healthy individuals. This study was conducted because low-grade, chronic inflammation is suspected to play an important role in the process of atherosclerosis. There are no clear guidelines yet regarding this new determination because the test was developed very recently. A number of American scientists and physicians have established the following guidelines for estimating the risk of developing cardiovascular disease:
- < 1 mg/L: geen verhoogd risico
- 1 - 3 mg/L: slightly increased risk
- > 3 mg/L: high risk
- > 10 mg/L: indicates acute infection
Treatment BeterKlinic
BeterKliniek is the clinic for Integrative Medicine that bridges regular and non-regular medicine.
An van Veen (physician) and Michael van Gils (therapist) look for the cause of a condition or disease. That is where the treatment starts otherwise, as people often say, it is 'carrying water to the sea'. We call this cause medicine. Sometimes it is also desirable to treat the symptoms (at the same time). We call this symptom medicine.
Chronic disorders often have their cause in epi- genetics. You can schedule a free informative telephone consultation (phone number 040-7117337 until 1 p.m.) at BeterKliniek to discuss your symptoms so that we can provide you with further advice.
