hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein)
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
A marker of low-grade systemic inflammation, and one of the more honestly contested numbers in preventive cardiology. Inflammation contributes to atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture, but Mendelian randomisation evidence suggests CRP itself is largely a bystander rather than a direct causal driver, with upstream pathways such as IL-6 more likely to be doing the work. As a risk marker it still adds information; as a treatment target it does not.
Ridker PM, Danielson E, Fonseca FAH, et al. (JUPITER) “Rosuvastatin to Prevent Vascular Events in Men and Women with Elevated C-Reactive Protein.” N Engl J Med 2008;359:2195–2207 found that statin therapy in patients with normal LDL-C but hs-CRP ≥2mg/L significantly reduced major cardiovascular events. ACC/AHA guidelines accordingly list hs-CRP as an optional “risk-enhancing factor” for intermediate-risk patients — not a universal screen.
Ridker PM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2008. PubMed: PMID 18997196
Singapore guidance
Not one of the named screening tests
Not among the tests Singapore’s national screening committee names for cardiovascular risk screening, which stratifies risk using the Singapore-modified Framingham Risk Score 2023.
Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026). The full national list · How this is used.
What you would actually pay
- Healthier SG
- Not subsidised
- MediSave
- Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims
Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.
What it costs when it is wrong
- Basis
- No published harm criterion found
- Severity
- Not documented
No published harm criterion found for this test.
An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.
Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.
Singapore pricing. We have a full price breakdown for this test, using checked 2026 figures from named providers — read the price guide →
FAQ
Is the hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) worth doing in Singapore?
The evidence behind hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) is graded moderate for screening an asymptomatic adult. It typically costs S$35–40 in Singapore. Most appropriate for adults at intermediate calculated cardiovascular risk. Non-specific — avoid drawing during acute illness/infection. The usual schedule: once, to help the statin decision in intermediate-risk adults.
Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →