Not too long ago, a patient asked me, “Dr. Sears, what do you think about this new risk factor for heart disease called” C – reactive protein’?”
“It can be helpful to measure but it’s not really new. I’ve been measuring it for 15 years. Yours is nice and low were it should be. You’ve had it measured every year as part of your check-up here.” I said.
Today, you’ll learn why I’ve been measuring CRP, why it’s being revived as if it’s a new “danger”, and how to keep yours at a safe level while avoiding the sure to come pitch for statin drugs.
I started to see major newspapers and magazines cover articles about C – reactive protein (CRP) as if it were something completely new. Next, I saw a story about it on a prime time newscast announcing a “new risk for heart disease”. Then it’s as if the flood gates opened and we were in the midst of a full-fledged media blitz.
The next week I saw something in The New England Medical Journal that made the whole thing click: Statin drugs are being “groomed” as CRP busters. The patents for statin drugs are about to expire and drug makers are targeting CRP. If they can convince the FDA that they lower CRP, they can apply for a “new use” and extend their patent.
But first, they have to convince you that you need to be as afraid of CRP. It took years to drum up fear about “killer cholesterol.” With CRP, they don’t have that long. The patent for Mevacor has already expired and several more will expire next year.
If you’ve been reader of Health Alert, you’ll remember that we talked about CRP all the way back in Health Alert 181. For those of you who missed it, here’s what you need to know:
CRP is a protein that increases with inflammation. It comes from the liver and from cells that line blood vessels. Studies prove that a high CRP:
- Almost doubles the risk for a first time heart attack in middle-aged men. (Even in men with normal cholesterol levels.(1)
- Increases your risk of suffering a stroke by 50%.(2)
- Lowers your chances of surviving a heart attack or stroke.(3)
- Raises the risk of heart attack even more in people with other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.(4)
- Lowers the activity eNOS – a “protector” enzyme in blood vessels that keeps blood vessels healthy.(5)
- Causes the formation of blood clots and plaque, which are major causes of heart attack and stroke. (2)
- Is a strong risk factor for heart disease in diabetics. (2)
A blood test easily measures your CRP level. Make it a part of your regular check-up. Here’s how you read the numbers to determine your risk of heart disease:
3 or higher = high risk, 1 to 3 = moderate risk and below 1 = low risk.
If the number is high, here are some easy, effective and natural ways for lowering it. If the result is low, these methods will keep it that way.
- Exercise. Even a little exercise can lower CRP levels. People who didn’t exercise at all who started exercising a small amount 5 times a week, cut their levels of CRP up to 30%. See Health Alerts 28, 58 and 146 to learn about my PACE Program of exercise which averages 10 minutes a day. You’ll learn why you don’t have to do a lot of exercise, when you do the right exercise to keep your heart healthy.
- Supplements. A recent study showed that taking a multi-vitamin reduced CRP by as much as 32%.(6) The vitamin used in the study contained the standard nutrients found in most good multi-vitamins. With one exception, they added Co-enzyme Q10. For more information on this incredibly beneficial nutrient, see Health Alerts 3, 54, 56, 57.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1 Pirro, M, MD, Bergeron J, MD, et al., “Age and Duration of follow-up as Modulators of the Risk for Ischemic Heart disease Associated With High Plasma C-Reactive Protein Levels in Men, Archives of Internal Medicine, Nov 12, 2001, Vol 161, No 20:2474-80. Devaraj S, PhD, Yan Xu D, MD, et al., “C-Reactive Protein Increases Plaminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression and Activity in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells, Circulation, 2003;107:398-404
2 Ford, ES, Giles, WH, “Serum C-Reactive Protein and Self-Reported Stroke, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 2002;20:1052
3 “Inflammation, Heart Disease and Stroke: The Role of C-Reactive Protein,” The American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org, Apr 10, 2005
4 Ridker P, et al., “C-Reactive Protein, the Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Events,” Circulation, 2003;107:391
5 Venugopal S, PhD, et al., “Demonstration That C-Reactive Protein Decreases eNOS Expresion and Bioactivity in Human aortic Endothelial Cells,” Circulation, 2002;106:1439
6 “To Lower CRP, Look to Multi-Vitamins and Lifestyle Change,” Holistic Primary Care, Spring 2005