C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
CRP is strongly right-skewed in the general population, with females showing higher median values than males and the upper tail widening substantially with age.
Unit: mg/L · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Inflammation Panel , Metabolic Panel · topics: Inflammation , Metabolic
These pages use NHANES high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) measurements and report them as CRP in mg/L. CRP is an acute-phase reactant produced by the liver in response to inflammation, infection, adiposity, and chronic disease. Because the distribution includes the full US population, the upper tail is broad and includes many participants with substantial inflammatory burden.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (mg/L) | female (mg/L) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 0.3–7 (1.3) | 0.3–13.6 (2) |
| 30-39 | 0.3–8.6 (1.4) | 0.4–13.9 (2) |
| 40-49 | 0.4–9.2 (1.8) | 0.4–13.6 (2.7) |
| 50-59 | 0.4–10.5 (1.7) | 0.4–18.2 (2.5) |
| 60-69 | 0.4–12.4 (1.9) | 0.4–12.1 (2.1) |
| 70+ | 0.4–11.7 (1.6) | 0.5–11.8 (2.1) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these pages using standard CRP or hs-CRP?
NHANES measured high-sensitivity CRP in these cycles. The values are reported here as CRP in mg/L because hs-CRP and CRP share the same analyte; the high-sensitivity assay mainly improves detection at lower concentrations.
Why is CRP so right-skewed?
Most people have relatively low CRP, but a smaller subgroup has obesity, infection, autoimmune disease, smoking-related inflammation, or other chronic inflammatory conditions that push values much higher. That creates a long upper tail.
Why are female CRP values often higher than male values?
At the population level, CRP tracks strongly with adiposity, hormonal state, and chronic inflammatory burden. Those factors shift female median CRP modestly upward relative to male median CRP in many age bands.