Most doctors now understand that inflammation is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Although inflammation itself is very hard to measure, when it is present in the body the liver will secrete a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP).

CRP is a very reliable indicator of a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. A recent study of men, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that those with higher levels of CRP have a three times greater risk of heart attack than those with normal levels. Research also shows that people with very low CRP levels rarely suffer heart attacks.

So, how do you lower the CRP in your blood? You could do it with statin drugs … as long as you don’t mind increasing your risk of cancer and other dangerous side effects.

Or … you could exercise. Research has proven that exercise lowers CRP rapidly, and by a significant amount. A recent study showed a 41% reduction that was attributed to exercise, significantly greater than the reduction that was achieved using drugs.

(Reference: Daily Dose e-letter)