CPK is creatine phosphokinase, an enzyme in the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. High CPK can indicate muscle destruction, heart attacks, and central nervous system issues. Long-term exposure to high CPK can load up your kidneys and cause muscle loss and weakness. Sometimes we have no symptoms when CPK is high, but most of the time, we have body aches and soreness. Resistance training can raise CPK, so stop working out for at least five days before the CPK test.

A C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Quantitative test is used to aid in the diagnosis of infections or diseases which cause inflammation. CRP is a protein produced by the liver. Higher than normal concentrations of CRP are often an indicator of infection or inflammation in the body. This test can help determine if an infection is present but not the source of the infection. Conditions that can cause elevated CRP levels include but are not limited to Sepsis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Arthritis, Lupus, Vasculitis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

This high sensitivity CRP test is used along other blood markers to assess a patient's potential risk for cardiovascular disease. To illustrate the difference between CRP and hs-CRP, traditional testing measures CRP (quantitative) within the range of 10 to 1,000 mg/L, whereas hs-CRP values range from 0.5 to 10 mg/L. In simpler terms, hs-CRP measures trace amounts of CRP in the blood. Hs-CRP is the analyte of choice for cardiovascular risk assessment