Vitamin D and Inflammation Test

An hs-CRP test may be most useful for people who have an intermediate risk of heart disease, or a 10% to 20% chance of having a heart attack within the next 10 years. The results of this test alone will not provide a complete picture of your heart disease risk, and will be assessed along with other factors like age, cholesterol levels, family history, and blood sugar by your doctor.

Chronic inflammation cannot always be prevented, but the following tips can help combat it:

• Eat anti-inflammatory foods, such as fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna), fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil. Limit fried foods, refined carbohydrates (white bread, cookies), and simple sugars (candy, soda).
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• Quit or avoid smoking.
• Manage stress by making time for relaxing activities such as yoga or meditation.
• Limit alcohol intake.

This test only measures vitamin D levels in blood. If you would also like to test for other vitamins, we recommend that you opt for our Vitamin Deficiency Test. In addition to vitamin D, this test also measures folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in the blood.

The sensitivity and specificity for this blood test is almost 100%. Sensitivity is the ability of a test to correctly identify test users with a disease. Specificity is the ability of a test to correctly identify test users without the disease.

It is estimated that 30-60% of the population is vitamin D deficient in Western Europe, particularly in the winter months. This is due in part to a climate that does not have much sunlight in the winter months and a lifestyle in which people are not outside for extended periods of time daily.

Vitamin D deficiency is most often caused by inadequate exposure to sunlight or a diet lacking Vitamin D rich foods. Vitamin D supplements can help in case of a vitamin D deficiency. It is also possible to have a vitamin D level that is too high, usually from excessive use of supplements. To learn more, read our blog “How much vitamin D is too much?“.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for most people is 10 micrograms. The safe upper limit for vitamin D has been set at 100 micrograms per day. Some individuals need more vitamin D than they can get from sunlight or food. People with a dark complexion, young children and pregnant women benefit from an additional 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Elderly people are recommended to receive an extra 20 micrograms per day (Voedingscentrum).

As a test provider, Homed-IQ is only able to report test results and is not authorized to provide medical advice. Please take the laboratory report from your test to your doctor to discuss the meaning of the results and potential next steps.

A blood test that showed elevated CRP levels indicates there is inflammation somewhere in your body. The test result does not indicate where the inflammation is coming from. If your test results show inflammation, consider repeating the test in a few months or speaking with your doctor if further testing is needed to determine the cause.

Inflammation can be caused by a variety of things. Acute inflammation is usually caused by injury or infection in your body. Chronic inflammation is often caused by:

• Autoimmune conditions, in which the body attacks healthy tissues
• Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection
• Exposure to toxins, like pollution
• Lifestyle factors like obesity, drinking large amounts of alcohol, smoking, chronic stress

Vitamin D deficiency may have no noticeable symptoms, but is often indicated by symptoms of fatigue or muscle cramps. Other symptoms can also occur, such as;

• Hypersensitive or bleeding gums
• Pain in joints
• Muscle pain
• Weakened bones

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to damage of body tissues, such as an infection or physical trauma. The pain, swelling, and redness that occurs during an injury or illness is called acute inflammation, and is part of the body’s efforts to fight off pathogens and repair tissue damage in order to restore balance. Most people have experienced this after burning themselves, twisting their ankle, or getting stung by a bee. Acute inflammation usually resolves itself within a few hours or days as you heal.

What is chronic inflammation? 

Chronic inflammation may start due to an injury or illness, but can become a persistent state if your body continues to produce an inflammatory response even if there is no danger present. Autoimmune disorders like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis can cause your body to react to its own tissues as if they were a foreign invader, producing inflammation against them. An unhealthy lifestyle that includes smoking, stress, lack of exercise, weight gain and alcohol consumption can also cause chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation may not produce immediately noticeable symptoms and can exist at low levels for a long time.

Our self-sampling tests are scientifically certified and validated for home use. The tests have been validated by our lab to see if the results of finger prick samples taken at home are as accurate as samples taken in a testing center or doctor’s office. It is only allowed to sell validated medical tests.

Each sample is processed in a laboratory that is ISO15189 certified, which allows us to guarantee the reliability of the tests.