What is C-reactive protein?  CRP

Gulf war vets have elevated numbers? *

Maybe this is part of the autoimmune metabolic issues those exposed to 2-BE often have to deal with

High Cholesterol? too

What are 'clues' that you have been exposed to 2-butoxyethanol?

It is an exposure for some gulf war troops, you know

Clinical Background

•	Inflammation plays a role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, the chief underlying cause of Myocardial Infarction (MI)1
•	Cardio CRP detects CRP levels as low as ~0.175 mg/L (standard CRP assays cannot detect CRP levels <3.0 mg/L)
•	Cardio CRP, a sensitive marker of systemic inflammation, has emerged as a powerful predictor of cardiovascular diseases, particularly of coronary heart disease (CHD)2

Cardio CRP (High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) is a Powerful Predictor of First and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events

•	Cardio CRP helps identify patients at risk of first MI even with low-to-moderate risk lipid levels3
•	Cholesterol screening fails to identify almost one-half of the 1.3 million individuals who develop MI4
•	Adding Cardio CRP to standard lipid screening significantly improves risk prediction5

Cardio CRP is an Indispensable Marker Revealing Life-Threatening Cardiovascular Risk

•	Studies have shown that the combination of Cardio CRP with the Total Cholesterol: HDL-Cholesterol ratio is the strongest independent predictor of peripheral artery disease1
•	Reveals risk of future myocardial infarction and stroke among apparently healthy men and women, independent of traditional risk factors6
•	Cardio CRP appears to be an excellent marker of persistent plaque instability7
•	Recent evidence shows that Cardio CRP can help assess risk in patients with unstable angina7

Beyond MI Risk Assessment: Cardio CRP and Diabetes

•	Elevated Cardio CRP found to be a powerful independent risk determinant in the prediction of incident diabetes8
•	Presence of elevated Cardio CRP supports a possible role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM)8
•	Inflammatory markers, like Cardio CRP, might provide an adjunctive method for early detection of risk for DM8

Cardio CRP Significantly Improves Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

•	Reveals risk of future myocardial infarction and stroke among apparently healthy men and women, independent of traditional risk factors6
•	Helps assess risk of recurrent cardiovascular events7
•	Identifies patients at risk of first MI even with low-to-moderate risk lipid levels1
•	Serves as a powerful independent risk determinant in the prediction of incident diabetes8

Cardio CRP Specimen Requirements

•	1 mL room temperature serum (0.5 mL minimum); refrigerated or frozen serum also acceptable. Alternatively, heparin or EDTA plasma may be submitted.
	Overnight fasting prior to specimen collection is preferred to avoid excess turbidity due to lipemia. Samples should be collected 2 or more weeks after resolution of any acute inflammatory disease.
•	Life of Sample Stability Data: Room: 2 days Refrigerated: 1 week Frozen: 3 months

Online Resources for Healthcare Professionals

•	View this Cardio CRP information in a PDF format.
•	Access our online Test Menu to obtain test ordering codes and specimen requirements.
•	Visit our Interpretive Guide for information relating to cardiology test selection, utilization, and interpretation (including the Cardio CRP Test Summary, and the Non-Lipid Markers of Cardiovascular Disease Test Guide).
•	Simplify test ordering and results reporting with our connectivity solutions.
•	Stay informed with articles from the Quest Diagnostics Physician's Update Newsletter, such as:
	–	"Beyond Cholesterol" (How and when to use the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] test to identify vascular inflammation.); Spring 2003
	–	"What is the best test to evaluate coronary artery inflammation?" (Recommendations from the March 2002 CDC/AHA Workshop on Inflammatory Markers and Cardiovascular Disease.); Spring 2003
	–	"Take it off" (Discussion of various risk factors for CVD, including obesity, and C-reactive protein); Winter 2003
	–	"Should we measure both CRP and LDL?" (A look at C-reactive protein as another risk factor for cardiovascular disease); Winter 2003

Online Test Information for Your Patients
Your patients can learn about health conditions and laboratory tests in our online Patient Health Library. The library is founded on evidence-based information, and includes topics such as:

•	Cardio CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
•	Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests
•	Ask-the-Doctor Checklist
•	Work in Partnership with Your Doctor
•	Share in Every Medical Decision
•	Healthwise Self-Care Checklist
•	Making Wise Health Decisions

References
¹ Ridker PM, Glynn RJ, Hennekens CH. C-reactive protein adds to the predictive value of total and HDL cholesterol in determining risk of first myocardial infarction. Circulation 1998;97:2007-2011.

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/hcp/topics/cardiocrp/cardiocrp.html