Are At-Home Inflammation Tests Worth It?

Chronic inflammation is the hidden enemy behind serious, life-shortening health problems like diabetes and heart disease (1). In severe cases, this inflammation can contribute to autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes, lupus, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease (2). Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, factors like stress, alcohol consumption, and not sleeping enough can cause it to lurk in your body with little to no symptoms (3, 4, 5). At-home inflammation tests claim to catch inflammation before it can cause disease—but do they deliver on their promise?

These tests are popular for people who want to tackle hidden inflammation before it can get out of control. The idea is simple: prick your finger, send off your blood sample, and get information about the biomarkers linked to inflammation.

But before you shell out for an at-home test, it’s important to know that while they may offer a glimpse into your body’s inflammatory state, the reality is more complicated.

About the Experts

Raj Dasgupta, M.D., is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care, and sleep medicine. He is also an advisor for the National Council on Aging. 
Amy Myers, M.D., is a functional medicine physician. She specializes in treating autoimmune conditions.

What an At-Home Inflammation Test Tells You

Inflammation tests read your levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (6). Your liver pumps out this protein when inflammatory cells called cytokines flood your bloodstream (1). Your immune system releases cytokines when it detects a threat, like a virus or injury.

If your CRP levels are low, that means your immune system isn’t trying to defeat an invader or swarm an injury. But if levels are high, and you’re not injured or recovering from illness, something more serious could be going on. 

While a CRP reading alone isn’t enough information for a doctor to diagnose a condition that chronic inflammation may have caused, it can be a small clue to a bigger puzzle. “High CRP levels usually prompt further investigation to determine the underlying condition,” functional medicine physician Amy Myers, M.D., says.

Some at-home inflammation tests also check for vitamin D (7). Research shows that low vitamin D can bump up CRP and contribute to chronic inflammation. Not having enough vitamin D is common—as many as 40 percent of adults in the United States have vitamin D deficiency (8). 

How it works

You don’t need an Rx script to buy an at-home inflammation test. You can order one online or pick one up at a drugstore. 

Several companies sell at-home inflammation tests, and most work in a similar way: First, you prick your finger to collect a small blood sample. Then, you mail it to a lab that measures the C-reactive protein levels in your blood. A few weeks later, you get your results. 

Your CRP results can tell you how much inflammation is present in your body (9):

• Less than 0.3 mg/dL (normal): No major inflammation is present.
• 0.3 to 1.0 mg/dL (slightly elevated): There is some inflammation, but nothing concerning. Injury, obesity, pregnancy, depression, diabetes, common cold, or cigarette smoking can all elevate your levels. Making certain lifestyle tweaks can bring down your levels.
• 1.0 to 10.0 mg/dL (moderate elevation): This elevation is frequently seen in systemic inflammation from autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. If you see this level pop up on your test, definitely talk to your doctor about your results. 
• More than 10.0 mg/dL (marked elevation): Ultra-high inflammation is linked to major, life-threatening injury or infection. You would expect to see this level in someone who is in the ICU, not on an at-home test.

Are At-Home Inflammation Tests Reliable?

Physician Raj Dasgupta, M.D., gives it to us straight: At-home inflammation tests are riddled with flaws. 

Here’s the thing about at-home inflammation tests: They pick up on all types of inflammation, but not all inflammation is harmful. Your immune system uses inflammation to respond to injuries, allergies, or infections. Swelling after you twist your ankle during a jog is a pain (literally), but it’s a necessary part of the healing process (10). This type of inflammation is temporary and doesn’t cause long-term damage to your body. 

Chronic inflammation, however, is like a forest fire. It’s hard to extinguish, and if left unchecked, it can cause long-term damage. 

“These tests can’t tell the difference between short-term and long-term inflammation,” he explains. The main marker the test measures is CRP, which is present in both acute and chronic inflammation. In other words, the test can’t tell if the inflammation in your body is from weightlifting that day or from an underlying autoimmune condition. 

“These tests can sometimes give false results, either missing inflammation that’s actually there or indicating inflammation when there isn’t any,” Dasgupta says. 

He generally doesn’t recommend ordering an at-home inflammation test unless your doctor says otherwise.

Who may benefit from a test?

While both Myers and Dasgupta advise against at-home inflammation tests, they see value in more advanced inflammation tests ordered by your doctor. Beyond just CRP, they measure biomarkers—like autoantibodies, cytokines, and chemokines—that can provide crucial insights into more serious conditions.

“CRP testing can be useful for deciding if preventive treatment is needed for people who have a moderate risk of a heart attack,” Dasgupta explains. If an at-home test shows high CRP levels, it could encourage you to go to the doctor for further testing or prompt you to make lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on red meat and alcohol.

However, Dasgupta says the latest evidence suggests CRP testing—whether at-home or in-clinic—doesn’t always offer valuable information to doctors. High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease are all known drivers of chronic inflammation (11). And your doctor will already address all of this with you at your annual checkup. “The CRP test is not needed as a regular test for everyone,” Dasgupta says.

If your doctor thinks you might have an autoimmune condition, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (12), they may order an inflammation test to help reach a diagnosis or track the progression of the disease, Myers explains. 

FIGHT INFLAMMATION

How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is linked to several diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes (1). In severe cases, this inflammation can contribute to autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes, lupus, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease (2). If the inflammation isn’t addressed, it can damage your DNA over time and increase your risk of cancer (13). Thankfully, there are several lifestyle changes you can make to combat inflammation.

While research suggests CRP levels rise with inflammation, the protein isn’t the cause. Instead of obsessing over tracking those levels, Dasgupta and Myers say it’s better to focus on creating healthy habits and doing regular check-ups with your care team. 

Eat anti-inflammatory foods

Myers believes that most of the inflammation we deal with on a daily basis is a result of the food we eat. “Alcohol, sugar, and inflammatory foods spike levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP),” she explains. 
Your move: Cut back on inflammation-causing foods. Swap them for nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory choices found in the Mediterranean diet, such as salmon, almonds, green vegetables, and berries.

Chill out

Myers says stress can also stoke the fire of inflammation. If you are chronically stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline nonstop, increasing inflammation throughout your body (14). 
To calm the fire, incorporate stress-reducing activities like deep breathing and meditation into your routine. Even small changes, like swapping jitter-inducing caffeine for soothing adaptogen beverages, can help you mellow out.