hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) Test
The hs-CRP test measures high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a blood sample. It is a marker of inflammation that clinicians use in predicting risk for cardiovascular disease, read alongside a person's history and other results rather than on its own.
About this test
C-reactive protein, or CRP, is a marker of inflammation in the body. The high-sensitivity version of the test, often written hs-CRP, is the one Quest describes as measuring hs-CRP levels to assess cardiovascular disease risk and to detect ongoing inflammation associated with conditions such as atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome.
The result is a single measurement, the concentration of hs-CRP in serum, produced by an immunoturbidimetric method. Like any single marker, it describes one thing at one point in time.
Who might consider this test?
- People who talk with their clinician about this test are often looking at their cardiovascular risk picture as a whole and want one more piece of it.
- It also comes up when someone is following a change in diet, activity or medication and wants a marker of inflammation to track over time.
- Because a raised value can reflect many kinds of inflammation, the reason for testing shapes how the result is read.
Test details
| Quest code | 10124 |
|---|---|
| Methodology | Immunoturbidimetric |
| Sample type | 1 mL serum |
| Collection | Quest patient service center |
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Additional details
What this test looks at
The test reports one value: the level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the blood. Quest lists the test under several names, including hs-CRP, cardiac CRP, ultrasensitive CRP and highly sensitive CRP, and they all refer to this same measurement. It is a different product from the standard CRP test; the high-sensitivity assay is the one Quest describes for assessing cardiovascular disease risk.
How it's often used alongside other tests
Because hs-CRP is described as useful in predicting risk for cardiovascular disease, it usually sits next to the results that describe the rest of that risk, such as a lipid panel and blood glucose or A1c. A clinician weighs the inflammation marker with those numbers, with blood pressure and with history. On its own, a single hs-CRP value does not say where inflammation is coming from or what to do about it; that is a conversation for the clinician who ordered it.
Order online and a physician order is included — no doctor's visit and no insurance needed. Your sample is collected at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center.
Laboratory results should always be interpreted by a licensed clinician who knows your health history. This page is information about a test, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does the hs-CRP test measure?
It measures the concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a serum sample, using an immunoturbidimetric method. CRP is a marker of inflammation, and the high-sensitivity assay is the version used when assessing cardiovascular disease risk.
How is the hs-CRP sample collected?
The test uses a serum sample from a routine blood draw at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center.
Do I need to prepare for an hs-CRP test?
No preparation instructions are listed for this test, though people follow any instructions their ordering clinician provides.
Is hs-CRP the same as a regular CRP test?
No. Both measure C-reactive protein, but this is the high-sensitivity assay, which Quest describes as the one used in assessing cardiovascular disease risk, and it is listed under names such as cardiac CRP and ultrasensitive CRP for that reason. A standard CRP test is a separate product.
Can an hs-CRP result tell me what is causing inflammation?
No. It reports that inflammation may be present, not where it comes from. A clinician reads it in context with symptoms, history and other results.
How much is a CRP-hs test?
$45, paid once at checkout. The price includes the physician's order this test requires and sample collection at a Quest patient service center.