From the Guidelines
A CRP level of 0.1 mg/L is considered low risk, indicating minimal to no inflammation present in the body. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammation in the body, and normal levels typically range from 0 to 3 mg/L, with low risk defined as less than 1.0 mg/L 1. A value of 0.1 mg/L indicates that there is no significant acute inflammatory process occurring. CRP is produced by the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-6, and rises rapidly during infection, tissue injury, or other inflammatory conditions. Some key points to consider when interpreting CRP results include:
- CRP results should be expressed only as milligrams per liter and expressed to 1 decimal point 1
- To obtain a CRP concentration in metabolically stable patients, 2 measurements, fasting or nonfasting, should be made (optimally 2 weeks apart) and the results averaged 1
- Risk assessment should be modeled after the lipids approach via 3 risk categories: low risk, average risk, and high risk, with low risk defined as less than 1.0 mg/L 1 The fact that your CRP is 0.1 mg/L is reassuring and consistent with good health from an inflammatory perspective. No medications or treatments are needed for this normal finding. However, if you were tested for CRP due to specific symptoms, those symptoms should still be evaluated independently even with this normal CRP result.
From the Research
CRP Levels and Inflammatory Markers
- A CRP level of 0.1 is considered low, indicating minimal inflammation in the body 2.
- Studies have shown that CRP levels can be used to guide antibiotic therapy, reducing the duration of antibiotic treatment and minimizing the risk of antibiotic resistance 3, 4.
- Elevated CRP levels have been associated with various conditions, including inflammatory diseases, infections, and cancer 2, 5.
Association with Other Conditions
- Research has found a link between CRP levels and the expression of PD-L1 in non-small cell lung cancer patients, suggesting that CRP may be a useful biomarker for predicting treatment outcomes 5.
- CRP levels have also been linked to depression and treatment-resistant depression, with higher levels of CRP observed in individuals with these conditions 6.
- Additionally, CRP levels have been associated with body mass index (BMI), with higher BMI levels contributing to increased CRP levels and a higher risk of depression and treatment-resistant depression 6.
Clinical Applications
- CRP testing can be used to guide antibiotic prescribing in adults with acute respiratory infections, reducing the risk of antibiotic overprescribing and promoting more targeted treatment 3.
- CRP-guided protocols have been shown to reduce the duration of antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients, without increasing the risk of mortality or infection relapse 4.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the clinical applications of CRP testing and its potential role in guiding treatment decisions for various conditions.