Blood and lab tests
What Does CRP Mean on a Blood Test?
CRP (C-Reactive Protein) · say it: see-ar-PEEAlso written: C-reactive protein, hs-CRP, high-sensitivity CRP
Short answer
CRP is a protein made by the liver that rises quickly when there is inflammation or infection in the body.
What it means
When the body detects inflammation, the liver releases CRP into the blood within hours. Levels can rise sharply with infections, injuries, after surgery and in inflammatory conditions, then fall as things settle.
CRP is a general marker. It shows that inflammation may be present, but not what is causing it or where it is. It is often used to follow how someone is responding over time.
A separate version, high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), measures very small amounts and is sometimes used as one factor in judging heart risk. The two are read differently, so check which one your report shows.
Where you may see it
- Infection and inflammation tests
- Post-surgery monitoring
- Heart risk assessment (hs-CRP)
📄 How it looks on a report
CRP 24 mg/L H
🙅 What it does not mean
- A high CRP does not tell you the cause; infection, injury and inflammatory conditions can all raise it.
- Standard CRP and hs-CRP are not the same test and are interpreted differently.
- A mildly raised CRP can follow minor illnesses, so one result is often rechecked.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “CRP (C-Reactive Protein)”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “CRP (C-Reactive Protein)”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Rosuvastatin
a cholesterol-lowering medicine of the statin type (an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor)
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “CRP (C-Reactive Protein)” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “c reactive protein”
- MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.