Inflammation Can Kill--But How Do You Measure It?

As you may remember, last week I wrote a blog called 5 Things Your Cardiologist Won’t Tell You. In that blog, I invited readers to ask any cardiology questions they had—and I’ll be answering all of them in future blog posts.

Today, I wanted to answer a question asked by Melanie. She wrote, “Dr. Sinatra, How does one know if they have inflammation of the heart?”

That’s an important question since inflammation is a significant predictor of heart disease—far more accurate than cholesterol levels, and a factor underlying most other diseases as well.

How do you know if you have inflammation of the heart?

1.      Have your doctor request a blood test to measure your level of C-reactive protein (CRP). This is your body’s key inflammatory marker. While the overall numbers may vary according to the lab, look for a general reading below one. That would be considered normal. Anything above one may indicate silent inflammation.

If your CRP is high, I recommend any or all of the following: exercise, weight loss, nattokinase (50–100 mg/day), CoQ10 (100–200 mg/day), baby aspirin, omega-3 fish oil (2 grams/day), and vitamin E (200–400 IU/day). But CRP is not the only test that can help you identify whether or not silent inflammation may be a concern.

2.      Have your doctor test your Lp(a) levels, which is a cholesterol particle that can cause inflammation and clogging of the blood vessels. High Lp(a) is usually hereditary. If you know  elevated Lp(a) has been a problem for your family, you should ask your doctor to perform this test. In fact, should you have a strong family history of heart disease, you should have your inflammatory markers evaluated-- that means CRP, Lp(a) and homocysteine as well.

3.      If both your CRP and Lp(a) levels are high, I recommend further testing for ferritin, fibrinogen, and homocysteine. All of these markers indicate the presence of inflammation in the body.

Now it’s your turn: Have you had your CRP level measured?

You May Also Be Interested In:

• High HDL + High C-Reactive Protein = Heart Trouble
• The Connection Between Lipoprotein A and Heart Disease