title: New blood test to measure heart attack risk: C-reactive protein.
abstract: In 2003, the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a scientific statement that suggested the use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a recognized marker of inflammation, as an optional myocardial infarction risk factor measurement (Circulation. 2003;107:499-511). Compared with earlier guidelines, the statement suggested a more aggressive approach for identifying patients at risk of cardiovascular events. The increased interest in and the mounting evidence of the role of inflammation in the development of acute coronary syndrome was a major impetus for this. This article focuses on the use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a nonlipid cardiovascular event risk marker and the implications for practice, education, and research.
authors.affiliation: The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA. jduffy@cua.edu
authors.forename: Joanne R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salerno
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein