Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation of the joints and often other body sites. A variety of tests are used for diagnosis and monitoring of the disease, including C-reactive protein, or CRP. CRP levels...
C-reactive protein is a compound found in higher concentrations in the blood when there is inflammation occurring somewhere in the body. Gout, a condition characterized by pain and inflammation in the joints, can often be partially diagnosed by...
Until recent decades, wine was seen as one of the culprits behind high blood pressure, cancer and liver damage. Studies show that moderate wine consumption provides several health benefits, from boosting blood vessel function to lowering stroke...
Sweet potatoes contain a wide variety of extremely beneficial nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, all of which combat inflammation. Research links chronic inflammation to a host of serious health complications, including diabetes...
The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods on how they affect blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index cause only a small rise in blood sugar, while foods with a high glycemic index cause rapid rises in blood sugar. Eating a high...
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol is a contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis. According to the book "Essentials of Medicine" by Carpenter, Griggs and Loscalzo, approximately 60 to 70 percent of a person's cholesterol...
Exercise provides many health benefits and has a significant impact on many processes in your body. For example, you affect both acute and chronic inflammation when working out. You can experience acute inflammation after exercise while reducing...
Statin drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world. Doctors start patients on statins when total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol--the"bad" cholesterol--are too high....
C-reactive protein--or CRP--is a marker of inflammation in the body and has been used as a marker for the development of type 2 diabetes. CRP is released from the liver as a reaction to inflammatory processes in the body when it's fighting an...
C-reactive protein is a pro-inflammatory molecule produced by the liver and is normally found in the blood only during acute infection or injury. In a healthy immune response, levels of c-reactive protein rise rapidly, the molecule binds to...
The Paleolithic Diet, also known as the Caveman Diet, looks back to the type of diet humans were eating 1.5 million to 10,000 years ago before the development of agriculture and farming. It emphasizes simple, whole foods based on the theory that...
Polymyalgia rheumatica, or PMR, is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause that affects older adults. Establishing the diagnosis requires the presence of typical symptoms plus laboratory tests showing evidence of inflammation, such as elevated...
Acute inflammation is a healthy response from your immune system to heal an injury, but abnormally high levels of chronic inflammation can indicate a higher risk for disease such as heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. Too much saturated fat,...
Astaxanthin is the carotenoid, or pigmented chemical, responsible for the reddish color in salmon, lobster, krill and other aquatic sources. The supplement form of astaxanthin is derived from marine micro algae Haematococcus pluvialis at Hawaii's...
Certain types of fat are beneficial for overall health. Fish oil contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for cell membrane support and nerve function in your body. They might also be effective for decreasing C-reactive protein, a...
Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is a water soluble vitamin that has antioxidant properties. It helps reduce free radical production that is associated with disease and illness. In addition, research indicates that vitamin C might have...
Skin cancer manifests in three forms: melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell. Melanoma is the type of skin cancer most likely to travel beyond the skin to infect other organs, which makes it the most lethal form. C-reactive protein refers to an...
Garcinia mangosteen, or mangosteen, is a plant that is native to Southeast Asia, where its fruit has been consumed as food and used traditionally for a variety of medicinal purposes. Mangosteen has gained popularity in North America, where it is...
Inflammation is the body's natural response to tissue injury. High levels of inflammation have been associated with medical conditions and diseases. Although medications are used to fight inflammation, research indicates that consuming the right...
Eye inflammation can stem from many causes, including an infection such as pink eye. Iritis is a condition involving inflammation of your iris, the colored part of your eye, and uveitis causes inflammation in the iris, as well as in other internal...
Being diagnosed with high cholesterol should put you in a new frame of mind. Many people can control their cholesterol levels with diet and exercise. However, these steps may not be enough for some and a prescription drug may be necessary. Statins...
C-reactive protein is a type of protein that dramatically increases in concentration when inflammation or infection occurs in the body. High levels can also indicate the presence of certain medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or...
Recent research links inflammation to a host of serious and chronic health threats, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cranberry juice contains several nutrients that show promise in the...
Inflammation is the body's immune response to foreign invaders that have entered the body. Although inflammation from time to time is normal, chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells and might increase the risk for disease and illness....
While dark chocolate has health benefits, particularly for your heart, you can't eat as much as you'd like. In addition to flavenols that act as antioxidants, substances that can reduce cell damage, dark chocolate also contains sugar and fats,...
Omega-3 oil contains the unsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. These healthy fats cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore need to be obtained from diet or supplementation. Research...
In cancer patients, elevated levels of certain proteins correlate directly to cancer behavior and survival rates, according to recent research. Heightened levels of C-reactive protein and C-peptide in particular tend to foreshadow mortality....
The cortisol hormone affects many areas of the body, affecting the nervous system, the immune system, the reaction of the body to stress and the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. In contrast, the c-reactive protein is part of the...
Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis typically requires careful observation of symptoms by a physician to discern RA from other types of arthritis and autoimmune conditions, several diagnostic tests are available to supplement the clinical...
