Could A Simple Heart Test Save Your Life?

A growing number of doctors are finding that a particular type of inflammation could be behind tens of thousands of heart attacks every year. But many people never receive a test that can quickly determine whether they're at risk.

Dr. Richard M. Fleming, a nuclear cardiologist and founder of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute in Omaha, Neb., routinely uses a simple blood test that scans his patients' blood for signs of inflammation in coronary arteries that may lead to heart attacks. The test can raise the red flag early in heart disease while you still have time to prevent serious damage.

It's called a CRP test and it's simple and cheap. It measures C-reactive protein, a protein our bodies make in response to inflammation of any kind. One type of CRP test can detect inflammation in coronary arteries.

Overall, having a CRP level reading of 3 or more puts you at higher risk for heart disease. A level of 1 to 3 puts you at moderate risk. If you've got a CRP reading under 1, your risk is low. In fact, people with a CRP less than 0.5 almost never have heart attacks.

If you watched 20/20 on 4/16/04, you may have heard about Dr. Fleming's new book, "Stop Inflammation Now," and Dr. Fleming describing the dangers of this hidden inflammation and offering diet tips on how to help reverse existing heart damage.

He said that you need to ask you doctor to do this test to show up any inflammation in your arteries.