Medical Group Reveals Major Role Inflammation Plays in Heart Disease

The American College of Cardiology says a blood test that measures CRP can determine whether a person is at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

A man walks in a hospital hallway in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2016. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The American College of Cardiology recently released recommendations indicating that inflammation should be considered when trying to predict heart disease.

In a report issued in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Sept. 29, the college stated that the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) blood test that measures CRP, a known inflammatory marker that increases in response to inflammation in the body, can determine whether a person is at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“Because clinicians will not treat what they do not measure, universal screening of hsCRP in both primary and secondary prevention patients, in combination with cholesterol, represents a major clinical opportunity and is therefore recommended,” the American College of Cardiology stated.

“In patients with known CVD, hsCRP level is at least as predictive of future events as LDL cholesterol levels, even in patients treated with statin therapy,” the college said in a separate statement.

It refers to low-density lipoprotein, which is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. Statins, meanwhile, are a class of drugs that are used to lower cholesterol in the blood.

“In individuals with increased inflammatory burden, an early initiation of lifestyle interventions is recommended to reduce inflammatory risk,” the report stated, adding that a “finding of a persistently elevated hsCRP level should lead to consideration of initiation or intensification statin therapy, irrespective of LDL cholesterol.”

The report further stated that for people who have cardiovascular disease who are either taking or not taking statins, the inflammation measurement “is at least as powerful a predictor of recurrent vascular events as that of LDL cholesterol” and shows the importance of evaluating residual inflammation in patients.

It also noted that a low dose of colchicine, a medication that is used to treat gout and sometimes a type of heart inflammation called pericarditis, has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events in individuals with chronic stable atherosclerosis, or the buildup of fats and cholesterol on artery walls.

A type of monoclonal antibody called canakinumab has been shown to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events, the report stated.

The researchers noted that some anti-inflammatory drugs such as methotrexate, corticosteroids, and TNF inhibitors have not shown benefits in major trials.

The group recommended that health providers should encourage people to focus on the “consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil” and increase the intake of omega-3 fatty acids by including fish in their diet.

They also encouraged people to focus on minimizing red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and sugary beverages, adding that other lifestyle changes that may be recommended for individuals with high inflammatory markers include more exercise, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.

A study published last month, conducted by researchers at Florida Atlantic University, found that there is a correlation between people whose diets have the most ultra-processed foods and higher levels of hsCRP, the marker of inflammation.

“The time is also ripe for the development of strategies to promote increased physician awareness of the crucial role of inflammation in CVD and accelerate the adoption of evidence-based, guideline-directed anti-inflammatory therapy through dissemination and implementation research,” the college stated.