Reply #1: Take the $10 CRP test [View All]

[Frederic Bastiat]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/Living/2020_heart_test040415-1.html

"Half the people who have heart disease find out they have a heart problem by dropping dead. That's the first symptom they have," said Dr. Richard M. Fleming, a nuclear cardiologist and founder of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute in Omaha, Neb.

Fleming routinely uses a simple blood test that scans his patients' blood for signs of inflammation in coronary arteries that may lead to heart attacks. The test can raise the red flag early in heart disease — while you still have time to prevent serious damage.

It's called a CRP test and it's simple and cheap. It measures C-reactive protein, a protein our bodies make in response to inflammation of any kind. One type of CRP test can detect inflammation in coronary arteries.

Overall, having a CRP level reading of 3 or more puts you at higher risk for heart disease. A level of 1 to 3 puts you at moderate risk. If you've got a CRP reading under 1, your risk is low. In fact, people with a CRP less than 0.5 almost never have heart attacks.