hsCRP

Other names: HS CRP, hs-CRP, CRP, High Sensitivity, (HS) C-Reactive Protein, High-Sensitivity CRP, HIGH SENSITIVE CRP, CRP HS, CRP - High sensitivity

Optimal Result: 0 - 1 mg/L.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an acute-phase protein released by the liver in response to inflammation. The high-sensitivity test detects lower concentrations than standard CRP testing, making it valuable for identifying chronic, low-grade inflammation that can contribute to long-term disease development. Numerous clinical studies have shown that elevated hs-CRP is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke—even when cholesterol levels are normal. Because hs-CRP reflects systemic inflammation rather than a specific organ or condition, results should be interpreted in clinical context and, when abnormal, may warrant repeat testing or additional evaluation. Persistent elevations may be linked to metabolic syndrome, obesity, autoimmune disease, chronic infection, insulin resistance, or lifestyle-related inflammation. When combined with a lipid panel and other cardiac risk markers, hs-CRP strengthens cardiovascular risk prediction and guides prevention and treatment decisions.

What does it mean if your hsCRP result is too high?

An elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) result indicates that inflammation is occurring somewhere in the body. Because hs-CRP is highly sensitive, even small increases above the reference range may reflect low-grade, chronic inflammation—not just acute illness or infection. While hs-CRP does not reveal the exact cause or location of inflammation, persistently elevated levels are clinically meaningful and should be interpreted alongside symptoms, medical history, lifestyle factors, and additional laboratory markers.

When used to assess cardiovascular health, hs-CRP is an established predictor of heart disease risk. Levels between 1.0–2.9 mg/L are associated with intermediate cardiovascular risk, while values ≥ 3.0 mg/L suggest a higher long-term risk of heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis, even when cholesterol levels are normal. Extremely elevated values (> 10 mg/L) usually indicate acute inflammation—such as infection, injury, trauma, or recent surgery—and repeat testing after recovery is recommended before interpreting cardiovascular risk.

Inflammation reflected by elevated hs-CRP may arise from many possible sources, including recent viral or bacterial infection, autoimmune disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus), obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, smoking, periodontal disease, chronic stress, environmental exposures, inflammatory bowel disease, or other systemic inflammatory conditions. Lifestyle factors—such as poor sleep, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and diets high in processed foods—are also associated with higher hs-CRP levels. In some individuals, oral contraceptives, hormone therapy, and pregnancy (especially in later trimesters) may temporarily increase results.

Research shows that chronic inflammation is linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic kidney disease, certain cancers, and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, a consistently elevated hs-CRP level—especially if unexplained—should be evaluated further. Your clinician may ask about recent illness or injury, assess cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, review lifestyle contributors, or order additional tests such as a lipid panel, fasting glucose or insulin, ESR, ANA, CBC, thyroid markers, or imaging, depending on clinical suspicion.

Because hs-CRP can fluctuate, most experts recommend repeating the test in 2–3 weeks to confirm elevation, ideally when you are not sick, injured, or recovering from strenuous exercise. If levels remain high, targeted lifestyle and medical interventions may help reduce inflammation, including weight management, regular exercise, a nutrient-rich whole-foods diet, smoking cessation, adequate sleep, and stress reduction. In people with elevated cardiovascular risk, clinicians may consider cholesterol-lowering therapies such as statins, which are proven to reduce both LDL cholesterol and hs-CRP.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.

Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.

With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.

For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.

It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.

There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.

We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.

We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.

Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Yes, you can! Simply go to the "Invite Doctor" section, enter your doctor’s email address, and send the invitation. Your doctor will receive an email with secure access to view your results. You can revoke this access at any time. All shared information is securely encrypted and protected for your privacy.
Yes, you can! Go to the Graph view or Spreadsheet view. In the top-right corner, click "Export to Excel," and the file will be downloaded to your device.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.