C reactive protein, which is often called CRP, is an enzyme that indicates the presence of inflammation in a patient's body. Being within a normal CRP range indicates little or no swelling or infection. The presence of this protein does not cause any damage or exacerbate any diseases in a patient, though it is a strong indicator that there is a problem with some aspect of the patient's health or immune system. A patient who is within a normal CRP range is likely healthy, while a patient with elevated levels of CRP is likely fighting off some sort of disease or infection.
Doctors can perform a simple blood test to determine whether a patient is within a normal CRP range, which is from zero to 1 milligram per deciliter of blood. This test can help a doctor determine whether certain chronic symptoms, such as fatigue or loss of appetite, are indicative of an infection or a disease. If a patient falls within a normal CRP range, the main benefit is that this indicates that there are no signs of inflammation. In this case, a patient's symptoms are probably not indicative of disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or heart disease. If the patient shows elevated levels of CRP, this can indicate that a patient is unhealthy.
Patients who are overweight may also show increased levels of CRP. Here, the benefit of falling within the normal CRP range is that the patient is likely at a healthy body weight and not overweight or obese. People who are overweight are subject to many of health problems that are less common in patients with a normal body weight.
Recently, a connection between elevated levels of CRP and an increased risk of developing heart disease has been discovered. A patient within the normal CRP range is not immune to developing cardiovascular disease but is at less of a risk than a patient with an elevated amount of CRP levels. Normal CRP levels can indicate that the heart and pulmonary systems are not suffering any undue stress because of inflammation. While the lack of CRP or extremely low levels of the protein do not guarantee the patient's health, they do indicate that a patient is in good overall health, which can both stave off serious conditions and help the patient fight off disease and infection if they do arise.
