Common physiological factors associated with both osteoarthritis and heart disease include a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. What's more, researchers from Columbia University recently found that patients with moderately severe osteoarthritis run an increased risk of heart disease.1 This supports an earlier study that found significantly decreased cardiovascular fitness in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis.2 Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the metabolic dysfunctions that trigger heart disease, and C-reactive protein is a specific marker that gauges the effect of this systemic inflammation on the body. Recent evidence has
found increased levels of C-reactive protein in patients with early knee osteoarthritis. Researchers noted that "high levels [of C-reactive protein] predict those whose disease will progress over 4 years, suggesting that low-grade inflammation may be a significant aspect of early osteoarthritis and may be amenable to therapeutic intervention and secondary
prevention."3

Another study examined over 650 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, and found that "CRP was significantly associated with functional disability, joint tenderness, pain, fatigue, global severity and depression."4 High levels of C-reactive protein can also be triggered by previous infection with pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori or Chlamydia pneumoniae.

The Comprehensive Cardiovascular Assessment measures the most advanced independent biomarkers for heart disease, including C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and Lp(a), along with all the classic lipids, two computed ratios, and an overall cardiac index.

References
1 Philbin EF, Ries MD, Groff GD, Sheesley KA, French TS, Pearson TA. Osteoarthritis as a determinant of an adverse coronary heart disease risk profile. J Cardiovasc Risk 1996;3(6):529-33.

2 Philbin EF, Groff GD, Ries MD, Miller TE. Cardiovascular fitness and health in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1995;38(6):799-805.

3 Spector TD, Hart DJ, Nandra D, Doyle DV, Mackillop N, Gallimore JR, Pepys MB. Low-level increases in serum C-reactive protein are present in early osteoarthritis of the knee and predict progressive disease. Arthritis Rheum 1997;40(4):723-7.

4 Wolfe F. The C-reactive protein but not erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with clinical severity in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. J Rheumatol 1997;24(8):1486-8.

All lab tests can be done through the mail in the privacy of your own home, except blood tests, we send you to a lab to have your blood drawn for these. After you pay for the test we mail you the kit, the results take two weeks, the test results will be mailed to us and we will call you to go over the results, its that easy! All tests include the consultation for the report of findings.

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