CRP test endorsed
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
American Heart Association and CDC recommend high-sensitivity C-reactive protein testing as an option to facilitate heart disease risk assessment and potential treatment selection when other factors project a 10-year CHD risk of 10%-20%. Published in the Jan. 28 issue of Circulation, guidelines suggest additional studies of the systemic inflammation marker test are needed to clarify appropriate use. A recent 28,000-patient study by Paul Ridker, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, et al., showed the roughly $20 CRP test is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular events than LDL cholesterol ("The Gray Sheet" Nov. 18, 2002, In Brief). CRP test product makers include Bayer, Beckman Coulter, Dade Behring and Diagnostic Products...