Cardiologists say women should know their C-reactive protein number.

2003 AUG 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cardiovascular specialists on the medical staff at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas are paying closer attention to something called C-reactive protein (CRP) - a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation.

Physicians say new insights into a more sensitive version of the CRP test, give it credibility as a marker for coronary artery disease, particularly among female patients. An elevated CRP could indicate to a woman and her physician that more aggressive steps are needed to lower any controllable risk factors for heart disease - the number one killer of both men and women.

Measured by a simple blood test, an elevated CRP level indicates inflammation in the body caused by any of a number of inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, bacterial infections or coronary plaque build-up associated with heart disease. Clinical studies have shown that both men and women with high-risk factors of smoking, obesity and family history of heart disease, have the strongest relationship between an elevated CRP and heart disease.

Recent studies have shown great promise for CRP to emerge as a better marker for heart disease risk in women, than the more common LDL or "bad" cholesterol blood test ...