Recent evidence suggests that inflammation may be an important marker of risk for future heart attacks and strokes.
Inflammation is one of the processes by which the body responds to injury.
Researchers have found that blood levels of C-reactive protein are elevated years before a first heart attack or stroke. Statins have been proven to lower cholesterol and risk for heart attacks. C-reactive protein is a useful biological marker for arterial inflammation, and it can predict the risk of heart attacks and stroke years before a patient has his or her first coronary event, Ridker and colleagues explain. We now have another possible mechanism by which statins can reduce risk for heart disease. No one knows for certain what causes the low-grade inflammation that seems to put otherwise healthy people at risk for heart disease.