As atherosclerosis has been redefined as an inflammatory disease, many researchers have pursued strategies to either prevent atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation or to diagnose and measure atherosclerosis by tracking inflammatory blood markers. Two such inflammatory markers are C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

CRP is produced in response to inflammation. Studies have shown that higher CRP levels correspond with increasing age, body mass index, blood pressure and smoking status. There is also some evidence to suggest that CRP actually damages arterial walls by itself.

New studies have found that high levels of CRP in women with high blood pressure may be correlated with increased risk of heart attack. Data from the Women’s Health Study, an ongoing trial of nearly 30,000 women in the United States, has shown that when a woman has both high blood pressure and high levels of CRP, her risk of having a heart attack increases by as much as eightfold. Additional studies have shown that elderly people who have elevated CRP levels (above 3 milligram/liter, or 3 mg/L) have about a 45 percent increase in the risk of developing coronary artery disease.

There are, however, limitations to measuring CRP. The most important drawback is CRP's lack of specificity. In other words, CRP is produced in response to inflammation anywhere in the body, not just heart disease. Therefore, CRP levels may be elevated in response to any injury or autoimmune, inflammatory disease. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support limited use of a new test to check for CRP. The highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test is not recommended for general screening, but may be helpful in certain situations. In people with a history of coronary disease, for example, the test may be useful in assessing the likelihood of recurrent heart attacks.

Similarly to CRP, high levels of IL-6 are associated with excess alcohol intake, diabetes and lack of exercise. High levels of interleukin-18, an immune system protein, have been shown to signal inflammation and risk for heart attack and stroke.