Exercise and inflammation: reply

Our recent report from the HERITAGE Family Study showed that moderate to high-intensity exercise training reduced plasma levels of C-reactive protein, an important pro-inflammatory biomarker, in sedentary healthy adults with initial C-reactive protein levels >3.0 mg/L.1 This finding is potentially important from both a public health and a clinical point of view, because individuals with C-reactive protein >3.0 mg/L represent about one-fourth of all adults and are thought to have a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. A number of studies with different designs support the view that regular physical activity suppresses the inflammatory …