C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test – levels, high, low and normal (2024)

Key facts

  • The C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test checks for inflammation in your body.
  • A CRP blood test will show if there is inflammation in your body.
  • A CRP blood test also helps to see how well you are responding to treatment.
  • No special preparation is needed for a CRP blood test.

What is the C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test?

The C-reactive protein (CRP) test is a blood test that checks for inflammation in your body.

CRP is a protein that is made in your liver and released into your bloodstream. Levels of CRP start to increase very soon after any inflammation or infection affects your body.

The CRP blood test can be used to find out how severe inflammation is, or whether you are responding to treatment. It does not show where the inflammation is in your body.

Why would I need a CRP blood test?

Your doctor might recommend this test if they suspect that you have:

CRP can help confirm if there is inflammation in your body. It can also help to see how well you are responding to treatment.

Sometimes, your CRP level is tested during pregnancy if your waters break early. In this situation, CRP can help show if an infection may be developing.

C-reactive protein high sensitivity (hsCRP)

A special type of CRP called a high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) may help assess your risk of heart disease. This is used in combination with other risk factors you may have.

How to prepare for a CRP blood test

There is no special preparation needed for a CRP blood test.

However, if you are having other blood tests done there may be special preparations instructions.

It’s best to check with your doctor or the pathology collection centre. Ask them if there is anything you need to do before having your blood test.

What do my CRP blood test results mean?

A high CRP is more than 10mg/L. This shows that there is inflammation somewhere in your body. Other tests might be necessary to find out where or which specific illness or infection is causing the inflammation.

If you are being treated for an infection or inflammation, your CRP levels should decrease.

A normal CRP is less than 5mg/L.

You should always discuss your blood test results with your doctor to understand what they mean for you. Your doctor will consider your CRP blood test results in the context of your condition, treatment, underlying health and other test results.

Resources and support

Read our ‘Guide to blood testing’ to learn more about blood tests. It covers information on:

  • what to consider before having the test
  • what happens during a blood test
  • results accuracy
  • blood test costs

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.’

C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test – levels, high, low and normal (2024)

FAQs

C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test – levels, high, low and normal? ›

A number of things may cause your CRP levels to be slightly higher than normal. These include obesity, lack of exercise, cigarette smoking, and diabetes. Certain medicines can cause your CRP levels to be lower than normal.

Can CRP be high without infection? ›

A number of things may cause your CRP levels to be slightly higher than normal. These include obesity, lack of exercise, cigarette smoking, and diabetes. Certain medicines can cause your CRP levels to be lower than normal.

What level of CRP is concerning? ›

Results equal to or greater than 8 mg/L or 10 mg/L are considered high. Range values vary depending on the lab doing the test. A high test result is a sign of inflammation. It may be due to serious infection, injury or chronic disease.

Why is my CRP so high no reason? ›

Lifestyle: People who smoke, have obesity, or do little exercise may have higher-than-normal CRP levels. Minor injuries or infection: These conditions may temporarily raise CRP levels and conceal other potential conditions, such as diabetes or IBD.

Should CRP be high or low? ›

Normally, you have low levels of c-reactive protein in your blood. Your liver releases more CRP into your bloodstream if you have inflammation in your body. High levels of CRP may mean you have a serious health condition that causes inflammation.

Can dehydration cause high CRP levels? ›

This is particularly concerning as high CRP levels, potentially exacerbated by factors like dehydration and certain dietary habits, can indicate a dangerous level of inflammation in the body.

Do all cancers have high CRP? ›

As recently summarized by Hart et al. (6), cancer patients are known to have elevated levels of blood CRP. Furthermore, patients with malignant disease have much higher levels of CRP than patients with benign disease, and the higher the CRP level (e.g., > 50-100 µg/ml), the worse the prognosis.

What is a risky CRP level? ›

For high sensitivity assays of CRP or “hsCRP,” we say that less than 1 mg/L is low risk, 1 to 3 mg/L is moderate risk, and greater than 3 mg/L is high risk—that's simple enough.

What kind of inflammation causes high CRP? ›

CRP—C-reactive protein. Of the inflammatory conditions (n = 45), most were due to pericarditis (20 cases, CRP range 114.0 to 277.0 mg/L) or inflammatory bowel disease (21 cases, CRP range 100.6 to 203.2 mg/L). A few cases were due to pancreatitis (CRP range 124.0 to 296.0 mg/L).

What CRP level indicates rheumatoid arthritis? ›

Normal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels
C-reactive protein level (in milligrams per liter of blood) in adultsWhat it means
10.0–100.0moderately elevated, which signifies infection or an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn's disease, or lupus
4 more rows

What autoimmune disease causes high CRP? ›

That reaction causes inflammation, so high CRP levels tick one box for an autoimmune diagnosis. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. “The CRP will go up pretty much from any inflammation, which can be from infection or an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis, or even atherosclerosis,” says Dr. Kaplan.

Can anxiety cause high CRP levels? ›

After adjusting for confounders, logistic regression analyses showed that anxiety symptoms alone increased the probability for elevated hs-CRP levels (> 3.0 mg/L) in males over two-fold (2.19 CI 95% 1.08–4.46), while comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms caused a 1.7-fold (1.76 CI 95% 1.13–2.74) increase in the ...

What should I avoid if my CRP is high? ›

Limiting or avoiding inflammatory foods like refined carbohydrates, fried foods, red meat and processed meat can help reduce CRP. Instead, focus on eating more anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish and whole grains.

When should I worry about my CRP level? ›

You are at low risk of developing cardiovascular disease if your hs-CRP level is lower than 1.0 mg/L. You are at average risk of developing cardiovascular disease if your levels are between 1.0 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L. You are at high risk for cardiovascular disease if your hs-CRP level is higher than 3.0 mg/L.

What is a good number for CRP? ›

Interpretation of CRP levels:

Less than 0.3 mg/dL: Normal (level seen in most healthy adults). 0.3 to 1.0 mg/dL: Normal or minor elevation (can be seen in obesity, pregnancy, depression, diabetes, common cold, gingivitis, periodontitis, sedentary lifestyle, cigarette smoking, and genetic polymorphisms).

What medications affect C-reactive protein? ›

Cyclooxygenase inhibitors (aspirin, rofecoxib, celecoxib), platelet aggregation inhibitors (clopidogrel, abciximab), lipid lowering agents (statins, ezetimibe, fenofibrate, niacin, diets), beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists and antioxidants (vitamin E), as well as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ramipril, ...

Can CRP be falsely elevated? ›

Certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), will falsely decrease CRP levels. Statins, as well, have been known to reduce CRP levels falsely. Recent injury or illness can falsely elevate levels, particularly when using this test for cardiac risk stratification.

Is high CRP worrying? ›

The result can be pain, swelling, bruising or redness. But inflammation also affects body systems you can't see, such as your joints. You normally have low levels of CRP in your blood. Moderately to severely elevated levels may be a sign of a serious infection or other inflammatory condition.

What conditions are CRP positive? ›

A high CRP is more than 10mg/L. This shows that there is inflammation somewhere in your body. Other tests might be necessary to find out where or which specific illness or infection is causing the inflammation. If you are being treated for an infection or inflammation, your CRP levels should decrease.

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