Ask the doctor: Should my CRP level change from test to test?
Ask the doctor
Should my CRP level change from test to test?
Q. I had a blood test for CRP that came back at 1.9, which my doctor said was on the high side. I had it checked again a few weeks later and it was under 1. What does this mean? Should I have it checked again?
A. Your liver makes C-reactive protein CRP in response to inflammation. Doctors have used it for years to monitor diseases with a lot of inflammation, such as pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. Thanks to supersensitive tests for CRP developed in the early 1990s, doctors can now detect lower levels of the protein that might indicate the kind of subtle, chronic inflammation that reflects unhealthy changes in artery walls.
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