They also found that people with the greatest degree of arterial inflammation benefited the most from aspirin, a drug that helps prevent blood clots and also damps down inflammation. Nearly 25 years ago, Harvard researchers found that men with higher CRP levels-approximately 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or greater-had three times the risk of heart attack and twice the risk of stroke as men with little or no chronic inflammation. Measuring inflammationĪ simple blood test called the hsCRP test can measure C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a marker for inflammation, including arterial inflammation. These clots are responsible for the majority of heart attacks and most strokes. The contents then mingle with blood, forming a clot that blocks blood flow. But if that wall breaks down, the plaque may rupture. Your body perceives this plaque as abnormal and foreign, so it attempts to wall off the plaque from the flowing blood. Inside arteries, inflammation helps kick off atherosclerosis-the buildup of fatty, cholesterol-rich plaque. Chronic inflammationīut chronic inflammation can also occur in response to other unwanted substances in the body, such as toxins from cigarette smoke or an excess of fat cells (especially fat in the belly area).

So in these settings, inflammation is essential-without it, injuries could fester and simple infections could be deadly.

The process works similarly if you have an infection like the flu or pneumonia. Your immune system dispatches an army of white blood cells to surround and protect the area, creating visible redness and swelling. You're probably more familiar with the acute type, which occurs when you bang your knee or cut your finger. Think of inflammation as the body's natural response to protect itself against harm.

Blood of their cut fingers to mingle