Circulation provides a crucial missing link connecting inflammation to heart attack.
Researchers have determined that the C-reactive protein, or CRP, can directly activate human coronary endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels. This finding suggests that CRP is not merely a marker of inflammation, but also plays a direct role in some heart attacks. Researchers say healthy men and women who go on to have heart attacks are likely to have high levels of CRP in their blood, which signals silent inflammation. However, it remains a mystery why a marker of inflammation can be such a strong predictor of risk. Now we know the relationship between CRP and endothelial cells in bringing about heart attacks.