People with high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may be at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke, according to a study published in the October issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Protein may predict heart attack
The researchers found that people with CRP levels greater than three milligrams per litre were 70% more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55% more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of one milligram per litre or less of the protein in their blood. The protein was not associated with an increased risk of stroke once other risk factors were taken into account.
