YOUR HEALTH
New blood test for heart disease puzzles parients
DR. DONOHUE

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My question concerns the C-reactive protein test and what it indicates. Two and a half years ago, I had the test done and the result was high. I read that it was a good test of heart health. My doctor tried to figure out what the cause was. Then I had a heart catheterization, which indicated only an 18 percent blockage in my heart arteries. I then had a pelvic scan, a colonoscopy, a referral to a rheumatologist (for the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis) and a C-125 test for ovarian cancer. Nothing was found. My C-reactive protein tests continue to be high.

I am 68 and exercise every day. My total cholesterol is a bit high. I take medicine for it. I have made diet changes and have already lost 5 pounds. I weigh 149 pounds and am 5 feet 4 inches tall.

Should I just ignore this? -- C.S.

ANSWER: Correct me if I'm wrong but, as I see it, you are a healthy woman with no aches or pains who has pursued one lab test with a ferocity that is breathtaking. C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation. Inflammation can contribute to the buildup of cholesterol blockages in arteries. You had the ultimate test of artery health -- a catheterization, the injection of dye into the arteries. You have the arteries of a teenager.

You are an active woman with a slightly high cholesterol, which has proven not to have blocked your arteries.

C-reactive protein is only a test. It doesn't tell the whole story. The story it's telling you is not verified by other tests and your own impression of your health. Further pursuit of your high Creactive protein is going to cost you more anxiety and money than it is worth.

The article you read about Creactive protein led you to believe it is the ultimate in heart tests and can be believed as absolute truth; it cannot. If I were you, I would forget it.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please provide some information on borborygmi. Could previous surgery cause it? I had pancreatic surgery seven years ago. -- J.G.

ANSWER: You've floored me. I didn't know that anyone outside of the medical world ever heard that word. Frankly it's not used too much in that world. Borborygmi (BORE-buh-RIGmy) are the grumbling, growling, rumbling sounds the stomach makes, usually when you are in a quiet place and wish not to attract attention. They come from the movement of gas and fluid in the digestive tract. They're normal.

If those noises are accompanied by severe stomach pain, vomiting and stomach distention, they indicate an intestinal obstruction.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com. 2006 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved