The evidence linking elevated cholesterol to heart-disease risk
may be rock-solid, but there are still mysteries. One of the
most perplexing is the fact that as many as one-third of heart
attacks occur in people with perfectly normal cholesterol
levels. And many people with high blood-cholesterol readings
show no signs of clogged arteries. Obviously, there’s more to
heart-disease risk than cholesterol. And new research suggests
that one hidden risk factor may be inflammation. Most of us know
inflammation as the visible redness and swelling that shows up
around a cut on the skin that has become infected. A similar
process can happen inside the body. Low-level systemic
inflammation, researchers suspect, may damage the lining of
blood vessels, increasing the risk of plaque buildup and heart
attacks. Lately, more and more doctors have begun to test for
inflammation by measuring a telltale marker, called C-reactive
protein (CRP), in the blood. Studies show that people with the
highest levels are twice as likely to