Distribution of C-Reactive Protein Values in the United States

Abstract

To the Editor: Recent studies suggesting that C-reactive protein (CRP) may be an important risk marker for cardiovascular disease have stimulated the demand for testing. Nevertheless, many physicians may be unfamiliar with high-sensitivity CRP measurements. In fact, no description of the distribution of CRP values for the entire adult population (and relevant subgroups) in the United States is readily available to clinicians. We therefore sought to summarize the distribution of CRP for all U.S. adults by age, sex, and race or ethnic background. We analyzed components of the most recent data released from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey . . .