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High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood often indicate inflammation in blood vessel walls. It has become increasingly clear that inflammation of the arteries is a major player in the development of heart disease and high CRP levels may even be a better predictor of heart attacks than cholesterol levels.

The CRP - Cardio (hs-CRP) is not a replacement for traditional cholesterol and blood tests, but knowing your CRP could help you get a more accurate assessment of your overall risk of suffering a heart attack.

CRP testing might be especially helpful for the millions of Americans who have below-average cholesterol levels and think, as a result, that their risk of a heart attack or stroke must also be very low.

But the fact is: about 30% of fatal heart attacks occur in people who have what doctors call a "desirable" cholesterol level.

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The CRP-Cardio is included with other tests in our Wellness Profiles that look for a family history of Heart Disease.