C-reactive protein is a blood test that measures acute inflammation in the body. While it’s not a specific test, your doctor might use the C-reactive protein to check for flare-ups of inflammatory diseases like arthritis or lupus.
Researchers are looking more closely at this C-Reactive Protein because new studies suggest that it may also be elevated in heart attacks. The question being looked at is whether C-reactive protein is merely a marker of disease or whether it’s actually playing a role in causing disease.
A study from the Stanford School of Medicine in California indicates that sticking to a Mediterranean diet, namely high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and low in saturated fat may lower these levels of inflammation in the body. It is being suggested that this should then lead to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, which might explain why the Mediterranean diet is considered heart healthy.
So if you have a family history of arthritis, lupus or heart disease you may want to discuss the C-reactive protein test with your doctor. And for your diet, be sure to include fruits and vegetables daily and try and have fish three times each week.
