How C-reactive protein outpaced ‘bad’ cholesterol as leading heart disease risk marker

Blood vessel damage from fatty and high-sugar diets leads to inflammation, which can be detected by measuring C-reactive protein. Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Since researchers first established the link between diet, cholesterol and heart disease in the 1950s, risk for heart disease has been partly assessed based on a patient’s cholesterol levels, which can be routinely measured via blood work at the doctor’s office.