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hs-CRP test, explained.

An hs-CRP test measures C-reactive protein, which your liver makes when there is inflammation, at the very low levels linked to heart risk. The AHA and CDC describe below 1.0 mg/L as lower risk, 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L as average and above 3.0 mg/L as higher risk. A cold, an injury or a flare can push it up for a while.

What it measures
Low level inflammation linked to heart risk
Fasting
Not needed. Test when you have been well
Who should test
Adults weighing heart risk with a clinician
In Lab Pass
Yes, every plan, $199 a year

hs-CRP ranges

Resulths-CRP
Lower riskBelow 1.0 mg/L
Average risk1.0 to 3.0 mg/L
Higher riskAbove 3.0 mg/L
Recheck when wellAbove 10 mg/L

Source: American Heart Association and CDC scientific statement (2003). These ranges describe heart risk, not a diagnosis. A result above 10 mg/L usually points to an infection or other inflammation and is repeated once you are well.

Who should test

hs-CRP is not a test every guideline asks for. The USPSTF found too little evidence to add it to standard heart risk checks. US cholesterol guidelines treat a level of 2.0 mg/L or higher on repeat tests, with no other cause, as one factor a clinician can weigh in heart risk decisions, and some cardiology experts now suggest checking it alongside cholesterol.

What can throw it off

Infections, injuries, surgery and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease raise it, and so can obesity, smoking, poor sleep, pregnancy, estrogen and hard exercise right before the draw. It also moves from day to day, which is why two results about two weeks apart are better than one.

How Sipra reads it

Your Lab Pass reads hs-CRP beside your lipid panel and Lp(a), so inflammation is read with the rest of your heart picture, never alone.

Questions, answered

For heart risk, the AHA and CDC describe below 1.0 mg/L as lower risk, 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L as average and above 3.0 mg/L as higher. A cold or injury can push it up for a while. A clinician can tell you whether to repeat it.

They measure the same protein, but hs-CRP picks up much lower levels and is used for heart risk. A standard CRP looks for larger amounts of inflammation, for example from an infection. Your clinician chooses the right one.

Not on its own. hs-CRP is not specific, and it rises with many things, from infections to joint conditions to recent exercise. A clinician can read it beside your cholesterol, blood pressure and history.

No. It is best to test when you have been well for a couple of weeks, so follow the prep steps for your order and mention any recent illness.

hs-CRP is part of every Lab Pass, which costs $199 a year in most states and reads 130+ biomarkers from one blood draw. The plan renews each year at the then current price until you cancel, and we email you before it does. Insurance is not billed, and Sipra lab panels are generally HSA and FSA eligible, so check with your plan administrator.

Other tests in Lab Pass

General information, not medical advice. A licensed physician signs your lab order; talk with your own clinician about what a result means for you.