# hs-CRP: Your background inflammation level > hs-CRP measures low-level inflammation linked to heart risk. Check your result, see what low, average and high mean, and when to test again. - Also called High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hsCRP and Cardiac CRP - Not on a standard checkup - No fasting needed - Web page: https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/hs-crp ## The short answer hs-CRP measures low-level inflammation in your body, a sign of higher heart risk. Under 1 mg/L is best.[1] A cold or a hard workout can push it up for a while, so one high result isn’t the final word.[1][9] - **A good result:** Under 1 mg/L. 1 to 3 is average, and over 3 is high.[1] - **If yours is high:** Test again in about 2 weeks, once you’re well. If it stays at 2 or more, it can tip a borderline statin decision toward treatment.[1][2] - **Should you test?** It’s most useful when your heart risk is borderline and you’re deciding about a statin. Experts disagree on testing everyone.[2][3] ## What is a normal hs-CRP level? There’s no normal range for hs-CRP. Labs report it in three heart-risk bands, which roughly split adults into thirds:[1] | Result (mg/L) | What it means | | --- | --- | | Under 1.0 | Low inflammation | | 1.0 to 1.9 | Average | | 2.0 to 3.0 | Average, but enough to count in US guidelines | | 3.1 to 10.0 | High: retest to confirm | | 10.1 or more | Over 10: usually infection or inflammation | ### Low inflammation **Range:** Under 1.0 mg/L. You’re in the lowest third of adults, the group with the lowest heart risk from inflammation.[1] **How worried to be:** Nothing to worry about. **What to do next:** 1. Keep doing what you’re doing. 2. A low hs-CRP doesn’t cancel out the risk from your cholesterol, blood pressure or other factors.[2] ### Average **Range:** 1.0 to 1.9 mg/L. You’re in the middle third of adults.[1] That’s below the level of 2 that US guidelines count as a risk enhancer.[2] **How worried to be:** Nothing to worry about. **What to do next:** 1. Nothing to do for this result. Regular exercise, a healthy weight and not smoking keep inflammation down.[1] ### Average, but enough to count in US guidelines **Range:** 2.0 to 3.0 mg/L. The CDC calls this average.[1] But US cholesterol guidelines count 2 or more, on more than one test, as a risk enhancer: a finding that can tip a borderline decision toward a statin.[2] **How worried to be:** Not a worry on its own. It matters most if your overall heart risk is borderline. **What to do next:** 1. Test again in about 2 weeks, when you’re well. Guidelines look for 2 or more on two tests.[1][2] 2. Ask a clinician to estimate your 10-year heart risk. If it’s borderline, this result can be a reason to start a statin.[2] 3. Losing extra weight, regular exercise and not smoking all lower inflammation.[1] [Test hs-CRP again, plus ApoB, $16.15](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=120766,167015&ref=guide-hs-crp) Test once you’ve been well for about 2 weeks. ### High: retest to confirm **Range:** 3.1 to 10.0 mg/L. People in this band have about twice the heart risk of people under 1.[1] But one result can be pushed up by a recent infection, injury or hard exercise.[1][9] **How worried to be:** Worth acting on over the next few months. It isn’t urgent. **What to do next:** 1. Test again in about 2 weeks, when you’re well, and average the two results.[1] 2. If it stays at 2 or more, see a clinician about your overall heart risk. If your risk is borderline, US guidelines say a high-intensity statin can be useful.[2] 3. Losing extra weight, quitting smoking and regular exercise all lower it.[1][3] [Test hs-CRP again, plus ApoB and Lp(a), $32.15](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=120766,167015,120188&ref=guide-hs-crp) Test once you’ve been well for about 2 weeks. ### Over 10: usually infection or inflammation **Range:** Over 10 mg/L. A level this high usually means an infection, an injury or another inflammation somewhere in your body. While that’s going on, the result can’t tell you much about heart risk.[1][3] **How worried to be:** Not a heart emergency. If you feel unwell, deal with that first. **What to do next:** 1. Repeat the test in about 2 weeks, once you’re well.[1] 2. For heart risk, go by the lower of the two results, not the average.[3] 3. If it stays over 10, see a clinician to look for the cause, such as a long-term inflammatory condition.[1] [Test hs-CRP again, $7.75](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=120766&ref=guide-hs-crp) Test once you’ve been well for about 2 weeks. ## What is hs-CRP? > Think of CRP as a smoke alarm. It tells you there’s inflammation somewhere in your body, but not where it is or what started it. CRP, or C-reactive protein, is made by your liver when there’s inflammation in your body. It shoots up with an infection or injury. An hs-CRP test picks up the much smaller, steady amounts that go with low-level inflammation, which is linked to heart attacks and strokes.[1][3] CRP is a messenger, not the culprit. Genetic studies show that people born with higher CRP don’t have more heart disease.[8] What matters is the inflammation it points to. ## How is hs-CRP different from a standard CRP test? Both measure the same protein. A standard CRP test is built for the big rises that come with infection and inflammation. An hs-CRP test is precise at much lower levels, down to about 0.3 mg/L, which is where heart risk shows up.[1] So for heart risk, you need the hs-CRP. | | Standard CRP | hs-CRP | | --- | --- | --- | | What it’s for | Spotting infection or inflammation | Gauging heart risk | | Precise at low levels | Not built for it | Yes, down to about 0.3 mg/L | | On your report | One normal range | Three heart-risk bands | Only hs-CRP is used to judge heart risk.[1] ## What raises hs-CRP? - An infection or an injury[1] - Recent hard exercise, for a short time[9] - Extra weight, high blood pressure and diabetes[1] - Smoking[1] - Long-term infections or inflammation, such as gum disease or rheumatoid arthritis[1] - Estrogen or progestogen hormones, such as menopause hormone therapy[1][2] The first two are short-lived, which is why it matters when you test.[1][9] ## How to lower hs-CRP - **Statins:** In the JUPITER trial, rosuvastatin lowered hs-CRP by 37% and LDL cholesterol by 50%.[4] How much it helps: some. How sure we are: very sure. - **Losing extra weight:** Body weight is one of the main influences on hs-CRP, and losing weight brings it down.[1][3] How much it helps: some. How sure we are: fairly sure. - **Quitting smoking:** Smoking raises hs-CRP.[1] Quitting lowers long-term inflammation.[3] How much it helps: a little. How sure we are: fairly sure. - **Regular exercise:** About 150 minutes a week of moderate activity. A hard session raises hs-CRP for a short time, but regular exercise lowers it over months.[3][9] How much it helps: a little. How sure we are: fairly sure. - **A Mediterranean-style diet:** More vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil and fatty fish; less red and processed meat, refined carbs and sugary drinks.[3] How much it helps: a little. How sure we are: early evidence. Because CRP itself doesn’t seem to cause heart disease,[8] the aim is to lower the inflammation and the risk behind it, not the number for its own sake. ## What does a high hs-CRP change? It can change whether you take a statin. In the JUPITER trial, 17,802 people with LDL cholesterol under 130 mg/dL but an hs-CRP of 2 or more took rosuvastatin or a placebo. Rosuvastatin cut heart attacks, strokes and other major events by 44%, and the trial stopped early, after about 2 years.[4] The 2026 US cholesterol guideline notes that the benefit fits what the drop in LDL alone would predict.[2] US guidelines now count an hs-CRP of 2 or more, on more than one test, as a risk enhancer. If your 10-year risk of heart disease is borderline (3% to under 5%) and no other cause explains the result, they say a high-intensity statin can be useful.[2] For people who already have heart disease, inflammation is now a treatment target too. Low-dose colchicine, an old gout medicine, cut heart attacks, strokes and related events by 23% in COLCOT, in people who’d had a heart attack in the previous month,[5] and by 31% in LoDoCo2, in people with stable coronary disease.[6] It’s the first anti-inflammatory medicine approved in the US for this.[3] But in CLEAR SYNERGY, starting it soon after a heart attack made no difference.[7] These trials enrolled people with heart disease, not people with a high hs-CRP alone.[5][6][7] ## Why test hs-CRP twice? hs-CRP moves around from week to week, and one reading can catch a passing cold or a hard workout. The CDC and the American Heart Association advise testing twice, about 2 weeks apart, when you’re well, and averaging the two.[1] US guidelines count a result of 2 or more only when it shows up on more than one test.[2] If one result is over 10, leave it out of the average. Retest in about 2 weeks, and go by the lower result.[1][3] ## Who should get an hs-CRP test? Experts disagree. The 2026 US guideline treats hs-CRP as optional and notes that it may not sharpen your risk estimate much beyond the standard calculator.[2] The American College of Cardiology’s 2025 statement goes further and suggests testing everyone who’s being checked for heart risk.[3] It’s most useful if: - Your 10-year heart risk is borderline, and the result would help you decide about a statin.[2] - You already have heart disease and want to know whether inflammation is part of your remaining risk.[3] Test when you’re well, not during an infection or right after hard exercise.[1][9] ## How to get an hs-CRP test, and what it costs An hs-CRP test costs $7.75 through Picardo. The Heart Health panel adds 16 more tests from the same visit for $150.90. - **Recommended:** [the Heart Health panel, $150.90](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?panels=heart-health&ref=guide-hs-crp). 17 tests, fast for 12 hours first. hs-CRP is one piece of your heart risk. The panel adds ApoB and Lp(a), HbA1c and insulin for blood sugar, plus kidney, liver and thyroid tests. [What’s in it](https://picardo.health/guides/panels/heart-health.md). - [hs-CRP on its own, $7.75](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=120766&ref=guide-hs-crp). Labcorp 120766, no fasting needed. Every order comes with: - Results in 2 to 3 days, in the app - Physician follow-up if you want one - Free Labcorp draw, or $75 at home - No other fees. HSA and FSA eligible. It’s also part of the [Base Core Annual – Men](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/base-core-men), [Base Core Annual – Women](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/base-core-women), [Brain Health Screening](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/brain-health) and [Thyroid & Autoimmunity](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/thyroid-autoimmunity) panels, if you want a wider checkup. Already have a result? [Ask Picardo about it](https://app.picardo.health/auth). ## Questions people ask ### Can a cold or flu raise hs-CRP? Yes. Any infection can push it up, sometimes over 10 mg/L. Wait until you’ve been well for about 2 weeks before you test.[1] ### Do I need to fast for an hs-CRP test? No. You can test fasting or not.[1] If the same blood draw includes tests that need fasting, such as glucose or insulin, follow their instructions. ### Does hormone therapy affect hs-CRP? Yes. Estrogen and progestogen hormones raise it, and it isn’t clear that this rise means higher heart risk.[1] Mention any hormones you take when you go over your result. ### Should I check hs-CRP if I already take a statin? It can help. The American College of Cardiology suggests asking about a stronger statin dose if hs-CRP stays over 2, whatever your LDL. That’s an expert statement rather than a guideline recommendation.[3] ### How common is a high hs-CRP? Very. About half of US adults have an hs-CRP of 2 mg/L or more. Body weight and smoking are among the biggest influences.[3] ## Often checked alongside - [Lp(a)](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/lipoprotein-a.md): An inherited particle that raises heart risk - [ApoB](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/apob.md): How many plaque-building particles you have - [LDL cholesterol](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/ldl-cholesterol.md): The main cholesterol behind plaque - [Homocysteine](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/homocysteine.md): An amino acid that rises when B12 or folate is low ## Test details - **Labcorp test:** C-Reactive Protein (CRP), High Sensitivity (Cardiac Risk Assessment), 120766 - **LOINC:** 30522-7 - **Sample:** Blood - **Fasting:** Not needed[1] - **Typical lab range:** Under 1.0 mg/L (low risk); 1.0 to 3.0 (average); over 3.0 (high) - **Units:** mg/L. For mg/dL, divide by 10. ## Sources 1. Pearson TA, Mensah GA, Alexander RW, et al. Markers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease: application to clinical and public health practice: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2003;107(3):499–511. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000052939.59093.45 2. Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of dyslipidemia: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154–e1276. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423 3. Mensah GA, Arnold N, Prabhu SD, Ridker PM, Welty FK. Inflammation and cardiovascular disease: 2025 ACC scientific statement: a report of the American College of Cardiology. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026;87(11):1381–1404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.08.047 4. Ridker PM, Danielson E, Fonseca FA, et al. Rosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(21):2195–2207. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0807646 5. Tardif JC, Kouz S, Waters DD, et al. Efficacy and safety of low-dose colchicine after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(26):2497–2505. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1912388 6. Nidorf SM, Fiolet ATL, Mosterd A, et al. Colchicine in patients with chronic coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(19):1838–1847. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2021372 7. Jolly SS, d’Entremont MA, Lee SF, et al. Colchicine in acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2025;392(7):633–642. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2405922 8. C Reactive Protein Coronary Heart Disease Genetics Collaboration (CCGC). Association between C reactive protein and coronary heart disease: mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data. BMJ. 2011;342:d548. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d548 9. Kasapis C, Thompson PD. The effects of physical activity on serum C-reactive protein and inflammatory markers: a systematic review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;45(10):1563–1569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2004.12.077 Updated 2026-10-28. This is general health information, not medical advice: talk to your clinician about your results and before changing any treatment.