Keywords
Abstract
The inflammatory marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), plays an important role in predicting various cardiovascular diseases. It can predict myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and sudden cardiac death in both healthy individuals and patients with coronary syndrome. The hsCRP provides additional information about prognosis in the presence of other risk factors such as cholesterol levels, coronary risk scale, metabolic syndrome, and blood pressure. It is also a useful tool for assessing patients with atherosclerosis. An hsCRP level below 1 mg/L indicates a low risk of cardiovascular disease. Values between 1 and 3 mg/L indicate moderate risk, and values greater than 3 mg/L are associated with high cardiovascular risk. The significance of determining hsCRP levels is that it helps in early detection of patients susceptible to cardiac problems. This allows the initiation of preventive measures and timely treatment, which helps to improve their prognosis and prevent recurrence and death due to heart disease. This article summarizes the epidemiological evidence on the association between CRP and atherothrombotic disease and provides clinical guidelines for hsCRP screening for cardiovascular risk assessment.