crp is a blood test that gives information about your body's overall inflammatory state. it's a nonspecific test that can be elevated if you have a bad cold or suffer from other inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. however the test also can be elevated in individuals with heart disease even at an early state. studies suggest that we can predict who might develop heart problems later on by looking at their crp levels today. some have argued that this test should be ordered on everyone and then we should treat those with high values with cholesterol medication and other therapies. others don't support this strategy.
how is a crp test used to determine the risk of a heart attack?