Measure Your Inflammation
Posted In Articles | Posted By Dr. Saila | Posted On 19 July, 2024
Inflammation
When your body encounters an offending agent (like viruses, bacteria or toxic chemicals) or suffers an injury, it activates your immune system.
Your immune system sends out its first responders: inflammatory cells and cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).
These cells begin an inflammatory response to trap bacteria and other offending agents or start healing injured tissue. The result can be pain, swelling, bruising or redness. But inflammation also affects body systems you can’t see.
Acute Inflammation
The response to sudden body damage, such as cutting your finger. To heal the cut, your body sends inflammatory cells to the injury. These cells start the healing process.
Chronic Inflammation
Your body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there is no outside danger. Chronic inflammation is also referred to as slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years. Generally, the extent and effects of chronic inflammation vary with the cause of the injury and the ability of the body to repair and overcome the damage. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory cells and substances attack joint tissues leading to an inflammation that comes and goes and can cause severe damage to joints with pain and deformities.
- Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus where your body attacks healthy tissue.
- Exposure to toxins, like pollution or industrial chemicals.
- Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection or injury.
- Some lifestyle factors also contribute to inflammation in the body. You may be more likely to develop chronic inflammation if you has these risk factors: such as alcohol, excess weight, poor diet, stress, smoking.
CRP
CRP is an immune system protein produced by the liver in response to injury, infection, or other inflammatory events. Physicians often look at CRP as one of the major markers of chronic and acute inflammation. Meta-analyses of all-cause mortality studies find that for longevity, the ideal baseline CRP is essentially as low as possible.
This empirical evidence agrees well with aging clocks like the Morgan Levine PhenoAge clock, [1] where baseline CRP is a major component, and with leading Inflammaging [2] research.
High levels of CRP may even directly cause weight gain [8]by interfering with metabolism), and high blood pressure (CRP causes chronic contraction of blood vessels). [3]
This is why tracking and optimizing baseline CRP using high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) tests is just as important for longevity and healthspan as blood glucose tracking (diabetes prevention), and lipid (ApoA1, ApoB, HDL, LDL) tracking (cardiovascular risk reduction).
CRP VS hsCRP
You may have seen CRP and hsCRP in your test results. These both refer to the same inflammation protein. CRP, or C-reactive protein, is also called “standard CRP.” CRP is also used in the diagnosis of severe inflammation related to acute conditions. The standard CPR test measures it in the range of 10 to 1000 mg/L. An hsCRP or “high sensitivity CRP” accurately detects lower levels of the protein and is used to evaluate individuals for low-grade inflammation and risk of heart disease. hsCRP measures CRP in the range from 0.2 to 10 mg/L.
Note: A high CRP value alone cannot be used to diagnose any specific issue. Consult your physician for any interpretation of your CRP test results.
How to Understand the Results
The CDC/AHA divides the risk of cardiovascular events into the 3 following categories[10]
- Low risk: less than 1.0 mg/L
- Average risk: 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L
- High risk or acute inflammation: above 3.0 mg/L (consider discussing with your physician)
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High sensitivity CRP test measures even very low amount of CRP in the blood. When CRP is high >0.5mg/L it indicates inflammatory process throughout the body. If it persists, it is almost always a feature of subclinical disease. High CRP levels are common in diabetes, pre-diabetes, Insulin resistance, reflecting insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome - all conditions associated with high risk of cardiac disease. Elevated CRP also indicates chronic infection. It is also an important marker of cardiovascular risk.
Note: A high CRP value alone cannot be used to diagnose any specific issue. Consult your physician for any interpretation of your CRP test results.
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It is important to note that research supports targeting baseline CRP levels below 0.5 mg/dL. Commonly, lab tests will report “<0.2 mg/L” if you have an ideal/ undetectable value.
For example, a study [11] of 27,939 women, showed that hsCRP and cardiovascular risk are proportional, meaning that lower hsCRP was linked to reduced risk—even at the lowest levels measured (<0.5 mg/L).
Evidence Based approach to reduce CRP
Taking proactive steps to lower CRP levels is both achievable and recommended. Lifestyle choices directly influence CRP levels. For instance, consuming trans-fatty acids can raise CRP levels within the 0.9 – 2.3 mg/L range, while engaging in moderate exercise has been shown to reduce high CRP levels.
The following are diet, lifestyle, and supplementation protocols with strong evidence (references included) for improving elevated baseline CRP levels. Where possible, references are generally from Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Meta-analyses of RCTs.
Note: The information provided below is for reference. Please consult your physician before starting any new health regimen.
Evidence-Based Dietary and Lifestyle Changes to Lower CRP:
Improved Sleep
Both complete and partial sleep deprivation have been shown to increase CRP levels in healthy adults.
Weight Loss and Improved Diet
Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet for 12 weeks has been associated with reduced CRP levels. Additionally, weight loss is correlated with lowered CRP levels.
Exercise
Engaging in medium-intensity exercise (such as 20 minutes to 1 hour of running) is known to lower CRP levels.
Cessation of Smoking
In a study comparing CRP levels among different smoking status groups of 1926 men aged 40 to 69 years, long-term smoking cessation brought CRP levels down to those of non-smokers.
Dietary Changes
Removing processed foods and refined sugars from your diet can help lower CRP levels. A diet with a low glycemic index and low glycemic load (consuming fewer simple carbohydrates and smaller portions of carbs) has been shown to decrease CRP levels.
Heat Exposure
Regular sauna usage (4-7 times a week for 10-15 minutes) is associated with decreased hs-CRP levels.
In recent years, CRP has been recognized not only as a marker of inflammation but also as an active contributor to the inflammatory process, underscoring the importance of monitoring and managing inflammation to maintain overall health.
Evidence for supplements to reducing CRP levels
Curcumin
Supplementing with curcumin (0-3 mg per kilogram of body weight, or approximately 0-1.4 mg per pound) has been linked to lower CRP levels.
Zinc
A meta-analysis of 35 randomized controlled trials involving 1995 participants demonstrated a reduction in CRP levels following zinc supplementation.
Vitamin D
Increasing sun exposure (15-20 minutes daily) or taking over-the-counter vitamin D supplements can raise vitamin D levels and potentially improve your inflammation score.
Omega-3
Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids or fatty fish is associated with decreased CRP levels.
Probiotics
Probiotic supplementation has been shown to reduce CRP levels, as evidenced by a meta-analysis of 31 studies.
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Taking vitamin E supplements (15 mg/day) can lower inflammation. A meta-analysis involving 246 participants suggests that both α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol forms of vitamin E can reduce serum CRP levels.
Quercetin
Supplementing with quercetin at doses above 500 mg/day can reduce inflammation levels. A meta-analysis indicated a significant impact of quercetin supplementation on CRP, especially at doses exceeding 500 mg/day and in patients with CRP levels below 3 mg/L.
Note: All the mentioned lifestyle, diet, and supplementation strategies have been shown to effectively lower chronic inflammation in the average person. To determine which methods work best for you, regularly tracking your hsCRP levels is the most effective approach.
Disclaimer:
this information is for educational purpose only, don’t constitute a medical advice. Before you try any supplements or try any lifestyle measures mentioned here consult your doctor to see whether this is appropriate for you
References:
1.Franceschi, C., Garagnani, P., Parini, P. et al. Inflammaging: a new immune–metabolic viewpoint for age-related diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 576–590 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0059-4
2. Luan YY, Yao YM. The Clinical Significance and Potential Role of C-Reactive Protein in Chronic Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Immunol. 2018 Jun 7;9:1302. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01302. PMID: 29951057; PMCID: PMC6008573. The Clinical Significance and Potential Role of C-Reactive Protein in Chronic Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Diseases – PMC (nih.gov)
3. Franceschi, C., Garagnani, P., Parini, P. et al. Inflammaging: a new immune–metabolic viewpoint for age-related diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 576–590 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0059-4 Inflammaging: a new immune–metabolic viewpoint for age-related diseases
4. Levine ME, Lu AT, Quach A, Chen BH, Assimes TL, Bandinelli S, Hou L, Baccarelli AA, Stewart JD, Li Y, Whitsel EA, Wilson JG, Reiner AP, Aviv A, Lohman K, Liu Y, Ferrucci L, Horvath S. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging (Albany NY). 2018 Apr 18;10(4):573-591. doi: 10.18632/aging.101414. PMID: 29676998; PMCID: PMC5940111. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan – PMC (nih.gov)
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