Clueing you in on: Am I at risk for early disease or death?

Rather capable of masking itself and morphing into different forms of disguise until it riddles you with disease and eats away at your life, inflammation is like that back-stabbing “friend’ you had back in middle school who you had the best time with, but they ended up stealing your crush (hint hint, childhood trauma).

The symptoms of inflammation vary from individual to individual, and can present themselves as: fatigue, frequent headaches, acne or eczema, seasonal allergies, asthma-like symptoms, constipation, diarrhea, weight changes or difficulty losing weight, poor sleep, decreased mood, joint and muscle aches, and on and on. The good news is that we live in a time when testing is evolving quickly to better recognize inflammation, as well as narrow down the root cause of such.

If you stay up to date on your yearly physical (hopefully), you may have heard of some of the widely used tests to detect inflammation, and hence, evaluate your risk for disease and early death.

These include: white blood cell count, ESR, CRP, homocysteine, ferritin, apolipoprotein, and methylation gene or MTHFR mutation testing. Let’s start with the basics.

1. WBCs (White Blood Cell Count): White blood cells are blood cells that are the main “knights” of the immune system, responsible for finding, identifying, and fighting infections or foreign organisms, the “invaders” introduced into your body. They are increased when there is an infectious or inflammatory process in the body and are an important and reputable marker of inflammation.

2. ESR: (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate): ESR relies on erythrocytes or red blood cells. And to be honest, this test is almost exactly what it sounds like. This test measures how quickly these red blood cells fall to and settle at the bottom of a test tube with your blood. If they fall and settle too quickly, this indicates inflammation.

3. CRP: (C-Reactive Protein): This one is a bit more difficult to explain, but think of it as the “intelligence agents” of the fighting force. CRP is a protein made by the liver in response to the body’s activation of other fighter cells in the immune system. Its presence and increase correlate with inflammation.

4. Homocysteine: This is an amino acid, produced when the body breaks down proteins. It is essential to body function, but too much of it can damage your blood vessels and other intricate parts of the systems of your body. It is a good predictor of future risk for cardiovascular disease and an indicator of chronic inflammation.

5. Ferritin: You may have heard of this one before. This is a common test to evaluate iron levels or diagnose iron-deficiency anemia. However, if it is increased, it can be a sign of inflammation and potentially non-optimal liver function as a source or contributing factor. You may want to obtain additional testing to evaluate your liver health.

6. Apolipoprotein: Apolipoprotein B is our main focus. This is a protein involved in lipid metabolism, a part of your “bad cholesterol” or LDL. Apolipoprotein A on the other hand, is a part of your “good cholesterol” or HDL. Elevated apolipoprotein B is a heavy risk factor for future cardiovascular disease and a marker of inflammation, especially in those overweight or older. On the contrary, apolipoprotein A levels are protective.

7. MTHFR or Methylation Testing: Remember homocysteine? Well MTHFR is “that guy” that helps your body break it down. If you have a mutation in your MTHFR gene, your body is unable to metabolize or break down certain substances properly (and that is what methylation is as a whole). This can lead to a buildup of other elements that can be harmful and promote, cause, or worsen existing inflammation and conditions. By looking at DNA methylation patterns, tests can identify inflammation-associated changes in these processes and “catch it” earlier.

While all of these tests provide a good starting point, they may leave some questions unanswered. You may be wondering, “but how can I find out WHERE that inflammation is coming from or WHY it’s happening in the first place?”. Well, that is a question that requires an answer loaded with information. So stay tuned!