Unfortunately, there is no agreement about exactly when the test should be used, and who should have this test. There is not yet a consensus about its value, but the test is being promoted by some as a test to help cardiologists assess risk for acute coronary syndrome (clogged blood vessels around the heart). Some doctors use the test to assist with making the decision whether to prescribe lipid lowering medication to reduce vascular risk. Where the decision has already been made to commence lipid lowering treatment, there may be little to be gained by measuring hs-CRP.hs-CRP may be requested as one of several tests for a cardiovascular risk profile, often along with lipid (fat) tests, like the various tests for cholesterol and triglycerides. Some experts say that the best way to predict risk is to combine a good marker for inflammation, like CRP, along with the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.Currently there are no official guidelines on using hs-CRP as a test in screening for cardiovascular risk. Recent studies have shown, however, that the hs-CRP test may be useful in identifying risk in healthy individuals as well as in people who have symptoms of chest pain. This is not current UK practice.
