What is hs-CRP on a blood test?
hs-CRP measures the same protein as an ordinary CRP test, but at much lower concentrations.
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The short answer
hs-CRP measures the same protein as an ordinary CRP test, but at much lower concentrations. Standard CRP is for finding infection and acute inflammation. hs-CRP is for detecting the low-grade, persistent inflammation associated with cardiovascular risk, in a range where standard CRP simply reports 'normal'. At Epicentre it's R316, against R127 for standard CRP.
What does hs-CRP measure?
C-reactive protein is made by your liver in response to inflammation anywhere in the body. In infection it can rise dramatically within hours, which is what standard CRP is designed to catch.
The high-sensitivity version measures the same protein with enough precision to distinguish between values that standard CRP would lump together as normal. That matters because persistent low-level inflammation, well below the range that signals infection, is associated with cardiovascular risk.
It's the same substance. The difference is the resolution of the measurement, and therefore the question it can answer.
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Before reading much into either, remember how reference ranges work. They are built so that about 95% of healthy people fall inside them, so roughly 1 in 20 normal results sits outside by definition. The pattern across related markers matters far more than any single value.
What else affects hs-CRP?
- Any recent infection or illness
- The most important caveat. A cold, a dental problem or an injury will raise CRP far above the range hs-CRP is designed to interpret. Test when you're well, and repeat rather than act on a single high result.
- Body weight
- Adipose tissue produces inflammatory signals, so CRP tends to be higher with more body fat, independently of anything else.
- Smoking
- Raises it. So does poor sleep and chronic stress.
- Recent hard exercise
- Muscle damage from an unusually hard session causes a temporary rise.
The functional view
hs-CRP sits at the centre of the functional argument that chronic inflammation drives much of chronic disease, and it's worth separating the well-supported part of that claim from the rest.
The well-supported part: persistent low-grade inflammation is genuinely associated with cardiovascular risk, hs-CRP genuinely measures it, and the association holds after accounting for cholesterol. That's mainstream cardiology, not fringe.
The part to hold loosely: hs-CRP tells you inflammation is present, not where it's coming from or why. It's raised by body fat, smoking, poor sleep, gum disease, autoimmune conditions and any recent infection. A single high result in someone who had flu last month means almost nothing. It becomes useful when it's persistent, measured when you're well, and read alongside the rest of your cardiovascular picture.
Where this marker sits in the bigger picture
Defence
How your immune system responds to threat, and whether that response has settled into a low background hum it can't switch off.
Every blood order at Epicentre comes back with a functional health report at no extra cost, showing each marker against an optimal band as well as the standard range, ranked by what needs attention. Functional optimal ranges are educational reference recommendations rather than diagnostic thresholds, they are not universally agreed, and a value inside a standard laboratory range is not a disease. The standard report is still the one your doctor works from.
Which markers is it read with?
A lipogram R362 and ApoB R332, since hs-CRP is used to refine cardiovascular risk rather than to stand alone. The Cardio-Plus Screen at R1,430 puts them together with the rest of the picture.
Which packages include hs-CRP?
Cheapest first.
Includes hs-CRP.
See what's included →R10,945ODx Ultimate PackageIncludes hs-CRP.
See what's included →Where can I test hs-CRP in South Africa?
All three open Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:00, closed on public holidays. Medical aid rates are roughly 20% higher than the cash rate and generally need a doctor's request with an ICD-10 code.
Basically
hs-CRP is R316 at Epicentre and you do not need a referral for it. It is a functional marker, which means a standard panel will not include it unless you ask. One result on its own rarely settles anything: what matters is the pattern with the markers it is read alongside, and what it has done since last time.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between CRP and hs-CRP?
Same protein, different sensitivity. Standard CRP at R127 is designed to detect the large rises that come with infection and acute inflammation. hs-CRP at R316 measures the same protein precisely enough to distinguish small differences in the range standard CRP would simply call normal, which is the range that matters for cardiovascular risk.
Can hs-CRP be high without heart disease?
Very often, yes. Any recent infection, injury, dental problem or hard training session raises it, as do smoking, excess body fat, poor sleep and autoimmune conditions. That's why a single raised result is not interpreted on its own, and why the test should be done when you're well.
When should I not test hs-CRP?
When you've been unwell in the past few weeks, or have an active infection, injury or flare of an inflammatory condition. The result will be raised for a reason that has nothing to do with what the test is being used for, and it can't be interpreted.
How often should hs-CRP be repeated?
If a result is raised and you were well at the time, repeating it after a few weeks is usually the sensible next step, since persistence is what makes it meaningful. Beyond that, the interval is a matter for your doctor and depends on why it's being tracked.
Other markers explained
This page is general health information and not a medical diagnosis. Epicentre Aids Risk Management (Pty) Ltd, practice number 1117394, provides diagnostic laboratory testing: we do not diagnose, prescribe or treat, and results are intended to inform a consultation with your doctor. Medically reviewed by Dr Samantha Naidoo, MB ChB, FCP (SA), Medical Director. Prices are 2026 cash rates including 15% VAT and can change without notice.