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hs-CRP Inflammation Test
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a low-level inflammation marker sometimes used alongside heart risk factors.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
1 marker measured
hs-CRP
A raised level of this biomarker, where it has been measured, is listed in guidelines cited by NICE as one of several factors to weigh up when deciding about preventive treatment, such as a statin, for adults at borderline heart and artery disease risk.
Overview
This is the same protein as ordinary CRP measured far lower down, in the range where low-grade, persistent inflammation shows up. That makes it a marker used alongside heart risk factors rather than a test for infection. People add it to a cholesterol result when they want one more piece of context, bearing in mind that UK heart risk scores do not use it.
Standard CRP is designed to pick up the large rises that come with infection. The high-sensitivity version measures the same protein much lower down, in the range where persistent low-grade inflammation sits, which is why it is used alongside cholesterol rather than to look for an infection. It is easily thrown off: a cold or other infection, or an injury, in the days before the sample can push it up, so it is best taken once you have fully recovered from any illness.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone who wants an inflammation marker alongside a cholesterol result
- People with a family history of early heart disease
Who it isn’t for
- This is not the right test if you are unwell now. Infection or injury can push CRP up many times over, and a result taken then says nothing about your heart risk. It is also not a general health check, and it means little without cholesterol alongside: the Heart & Sugar Plus panel puts them together.
- If you have a fever or feel acutely unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than testing.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- Wanting an inflammation marker alongside a cholesterol result
- A family history of early heart disease
- Weight around the middle or a raised HbA1c
- Following a lifestyle change and wanting a marker that responds to it
- A clinician has suggested measuring hs-CRP
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- hs-CRP▲ High
- Result
- 4.2 mg/L
- Range
- <3.0
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hs-CRP | 4.2 | mg/L | <3.0 | ▲ High |
Doctor’s note (example)
High-sensitivity CRP is above the low-risk band. A recent infection or hard exercise can do this, so it is repeated in two to four weeks before it counts towards your heart risk.
Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- Your kit arrivesPosted to your door, with instructions and what you need to send your sample back.
- You take your sampleFinger-prick sample at home, or a clinic blood draw, your choice
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Home finger-prick kit
- Preparation
- No fasting required
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from ordinary CRP?
It is the same protein and the same assay principle, measured with greater sensitivity at the low end. Ordinary CRP is the usual test for suspected infection or a flare of inflammation. High-sensitivity CRP measures lower levels and is sometimes used as one extra input alongside heart risk factors.
How long should I wait after being ill?
Wait until you have fully recovered from any infection, and let an injury settle first, because infection and injury can push CRP up. The reviewing doctor can advise if you are unsure about timing.
Do I need to fast?
No. Food does not meaningfully change CRP, so any time of day works.
What do the bands mean?
Guidance from the American Heart Association describes under 1 mg/L as lower risk, 1 to 3 as average and above 3 as higher. UK guidance does not use hs-CRP in routine heart risk scoring, and these bands only mean something alongside your cholesterol, blood pressure and family history. The report prints the laboratory's own range and the doctor's note explains it.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
Both, it is your choice at checkout. Either collect a finger-prick sample at home with the posted kit and send it back as the instructions explain, or book a clinic appointment and have a trained clinician take the sample for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
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