Can This Blood Test Indicate a Heart Attack?

The concern over heart health has increased following the demise of comedian Raju Srivastav after a protracted fight following a heart attack in his gym, as well as the many other celebrities we have lost to heart attacks in the past two years.

We used to think that people who exercise frequently would have good cardiac health, but that line is starting to blur.

The majority of famous people who passed away suddenly made the news as they were in good health and exercised routinely. Is it possible to calculate one’s risk of having a heart attack? Well, it appears that a blood test can indicate a person’s heart problems. The examination is known as cardio C-reactive protein (hs- CRP).

What is Cardio-C Reactive Protein (CRP)?

High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs CRP), commonly referred to as cardio C-reactive protein, is a straightforward blood test. CRP or the standard CRP is an inflammatory marker, meaning that the CRP level in the blood is raised whenever there is an infection anywhere in the body. As per a report in the Times of India, Hs CRP is more sensitive than the standard CRP, according to Dr. Bikram Kesharee Mohanty, Senior Consultant Cardio-Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon (Adult & Pediatric), Visiting Consultant at National Heart Institute. Suppose the hs CRP level is high in a person who is otherwise healthy. In that case, it serves as a warning or indicator that the person is more likely to experience future artery blockages in the arms and legs or future heart attacks, strokes, or heart attacks with sudden cardiac arrest.

What is it used for?

A CRP test can be used to identify or track inflammation-causing illnesses. These consist of:
Bacterial infections, like sepsis, are serious and occasionally fatal illnesses.
A bacterial infection.
An illness that results in intestinal swelling and bleeding is known as “inflammatory bowel disease.”
A condition that is autoimmune, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
A bone infection called osteomyelitis.

Symptoms:

Fever and chills
Fast breathing
Fast heart rate
Nausea and Diarrhoea

What do the results mean?

If your test results reveal a high level of CRP, your body is likely inflamed in some way. However, this test may not be able to identify the origin of the inflammation and in case, the test results appear to be abnormal, your medical specialist may prescribe further tests to determine the cause. According to reports, consuming tobacco, being overweight, and not exercising can also raise CRP levels