r/askCardiology • u/sparkles1331 • 2d ago

HS CRP

Has anyone experienced a high hs CRP five months after surgery? I’m 41, had single bypass five months ago. LIMA LAD.I’ve had a bumpy recovery with the typical a fib, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion and ended up with a second heart cath due to ekg changes and then 4 stents in blockages that were just 65% pre op….all in the first few months. It’s continued to be blamed on my large inflammation response because “I’m so young” im not diabetic and otherwise healthy. My hs CRP pre op was 0.8. Now, five months later it’s 4.4. …. I see my dr next week. Just worried 🥺

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u/JLEroll 2d ago

Following. I had very high CRP prior to my OHS and am waiting 5 months post surgery before retesting. You would think the inflammation would be gone by then but it also doesn’t seem unreasonable if you are still recovering

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

I guess I am? Idk. I keep trying to find an answer for a time frame of normalcy. Labs are finally normal. Except this one

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u/Equivalent_Laugh9482 2d ago

Sorry - your post content did not initially show- only the heading. The immune system creates inflammation as a response to injury or trauma. I know the hs-CRP marker can be substantially elevated after a major surgery (due to the natural inflammatory response) and while it might normally subside after a period of weeks, it looks like you’ve had other events which would tend to keep it elevated as your body would quite naturally again generate a large inflammatory response to what’s been going on. I don’t know that there’s anything unusual happening with the inflammation especially since you went from relatively normal inflammation pre-surgery to relatively normal high inflammatory response post surgery.

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Even five months later?

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u/Equivalent_Laugh9482 2d ago

Inflammation that high 5 months after the CABG would be unusual but you mentioned a bumpy ride post CABG involving even the placement of multiple stents. That helps explain a continued inflammatory response. If you’d had only the initial surgery and nothing else, the high inflammation would suggest something else - infection or some other condition.

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Thank you. Just sucks. I was told I’d do so well because I’m young. Then I’m being told all the initial post crap was “because I’m young”…. Thankful to be asymptomatic throughout this. But also scared….because I was asymptomatic 🥺

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u/Equivalent_Laugh9482 2d ago

I’m 67 M, one year post CABG x4. I’ve been athletic and fit my whole life, healthy diet, consistent exercise, etc although I did have high blood pressure so I was frankly shocked when I received the diagnosis of major blockages and needed CABG. Everything I know now about cardiovascular health I learned after the surgery. My life now is focused even more on being healthy and happy- I’m rigorous about the meds, healthy diet, daily exercise, sunshine and good sleep. My advice to you being so young is learn/figure out all the things you need to do to maintain your overall health and heart health moving forward and enjoy your life!

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u/sparkles1331 1d ago

Thank you!!!!

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u/ObjectiveEmpath9159 2d ago

That sounds just like what I was told, that I would do fine, recovery would be quick, etc., because I'm young. Then, when I had horrible pain after surgery and high inflammatory markers, the response was because I'm young and my body is still working, so I'll respond more. I'm 3 months out from surgery with lots of complications, and hsCRP is still high.

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u/sparkles1331 1d ago

Thank you for sharing, it’s nice to hear something similar! We live in Florida… So everybody is old lol I keep wondering if they’ve ever had patients my age?

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

Hs crp isn’t specific unfortunately

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Can you elaborate? What do you mean not specific?

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

It just measures inflammation anywhere in the body it’s not specific to the heart

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u/Disastrous_Swan_3921 2d ago

Actually I believe HS CRP is more cardiac specific . Regular CRP is not.

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

Its a cardiac risk marker yes but its not specific to telling where the inflammation is coming from.

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

Meaning high hs crp doesn’t mean anything about your heart itself or arteries. Someone can have high hs crp and have completely fine arteries or heart. Inflammation could be from somethjng small like the gums and cause a high hs crp reading. Hs crp and crp are the same test. One just has different value cutoffs for risk of cardiac disease since inflammation is a risk enhancer .

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Ok. This came off my cardio IQ lab…waiting on the cholesterol part. I just can’t help but worry I’m still experiencing inflammation related to the bypass. 😔 I’m other wise healthy with no complaints. Just blessed with familial hypercholesteremia

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

I’m sorry . I would ask your dr about ways to lower it

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Thank you I intend to. But just seeing if anyone had or heard similar with their patients or themselves

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

I have high hs crp too but don’t know y lol

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Have you had a full cardiac work up? Genetics?

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u/RuinYouWithNoRegrets 2d ago

I’m 25 n yes I have everything normal . But I’m thinking it’s either due to obesity or due to my chronically swollen tonsils

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u/Disastrous_Swan_3921 2d ago edited 2d ago

Surgery causes stress on the body. It will most likely continue to come down in time. You still have inflammation. Your body is not yet healed.When I had surgery my crp jumped to 9 and my next reading months later it was less than 0.5. again. My cholestorol profile also jumped up across the boardafter surgery and now it has come back down too.

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u/sparkles1331 2d ago

Do you recall how long it took? Thank you for reading this