What You Don’t Know Could Kill You About Cholesterol Testing and the CRP Test
The old theory that elevated levels of cholesterol was the culprit stems from the studies done in the sixties, now being considered flawed because the subjects diet, which included refined sugar and carbohydrates compounded along with lifestyle such as stress levels and nutrient deficiencies, all of which increase inflammation but were not considered in the study. Later, based on the studies, the drug companies produced statin drugs to lower cholesterol, which sell billions of dollars worth of the drug every year. The problem is a large majority of people with heart disease have normal cholesterol levels.
Now that the CRP test is gaining popularity with cardiologists, the drug companies did a study (ref; JUPITER study) in which they claim using statin drug to lower inflammation will prevent heart disease. It does lower inflammation but many in the study developed Metabolic Syndrome which can include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance and even elevated CRP levels in the blood along with other blood disorders that build plaque in the arterial walls. There are many natural ways to lower inflammation such as using fish oils, CoQ10, Vitamin E, increase physical activity, reduce weight, and eat healthy such as cutting out sugars, trans fat and over processed foods.
No one cause contributes to heart disease but inflammation is now viewed as the best marker for determining this disease along with interleukin-6 and homocysteine levels. These are simple routine blood tests you can ask your doctor about and they are covered by insurance.