As you may remember, last week I wrote a blog called 5 Things Your Cardiologist Won’t Tell You. In that blog, I invited readers to ask any cardiology questions they had—and I’ll be answering all of them in future blog posts.
Today, I wanted to answer a question asked by Melanie. She wrote, “Dr. Sinatra, How does one know if they have inflammation of the heart?”
That’s an important question since inflammation is a significant predictor of heart disease—far more accurate than cholesterol levels, and a factor underlying most other diseases as well.
How do you know if you have inflammation of the heart?
1. Have your doctor request a blood test to measure your level of C-reactive protein (CRP). This is your body’s key inflammatory marker. While the overall numbers may vary according to the lab, look for a general reading below one. That would be considered normal. Anything above one may indicate silent inflammation.
If your CRP is high, I recommend any or all of the following: exercise, weight loss, nattokinase (50–100 mg/day), CoQ10 (100–200 mg/day), baby aspirin, omega-3 fish oil (2 grams/day), and vitamin E (200–400 IU/day). But CRP is not the only test that can help you identify whether or not silent inflammation may be a concern.
2. Have your doctor test your Lp(a) levels, which is a cholesterol particle that can cause inflammation and clogging of the blood vessels. High Lp(a) is usually hereditary. If you know elevated Lp(a) has been a problem for your family, you should ask your doctor to perform this test. In fact, should you have a strong family history of heart disease, you should have your inflammatory markers evaluated-- that means CRP, Lp(a) and homocysteine as well.
3. If both your CRP and Lp(a) levels are high, I recommend further testing for ferritin, fibrinogen, and homocysteine. All of these markers indicate the presence of inflammation in the body.
Now it’s your turn: Have you had your CRP level measured?
You may also be interested in:
High HDL + High C-Reactive Protein = Heart Trouble
The Connection Between Lipoprotein A and Heart Disease
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