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August 18, 2025

CTACK and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: What You Need to Know

CTACK (Cutaneous T-cell Attracting Chemokine) is a key inflammatory marker measured on the SmartVascularDx PULS test. Elevated CTACK levels signal increased cardiovascular disease risk. Discover what raises CTACK and the most effective strategies to reduce it.

CTACK (Cutaneous T-cell Attracting Chemokine): A Hidden Biomarker in Cardiovascular Disease Risk

When most people think of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, the usual suspects come to mind: cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, smoking, obesity, and family history. But modern cardiovascular science has revealed that these traditional markers tell only part of the story.

The SmartVascularDx PULS test provides a much deeper look into cardiovascular risk by measuring seven key inflammatory and immune-related biomarkers linked to vascular injury, plaque formation, and heart attack risk. One of the lesser-known but highly significant markers on this test is CTACK (Cutaneous T-cell Attracting Chemokine).

This article explores CTACK in depth:

  • What CTACK is and its role in immune signaling

  • How it relates to cardiovascular inflammation and plaque vulnerability

  • What conditions and lifestyle factors increase CTACK levels

  • Natural and clinical strategies to lower CTACK and reduce cardiovascular risk

  • Why testing with the PULS test matters for early detection and prevention

What is CTACK (Cutaneous T-cell Attracting Chemokine)?

CTACK, also known scientifically as CCL27, is a chemokine—a small signaling protein secreted by cells to attract immune cells to sites of inflammation or injury. Specifically, CTACK is:

  • Produced primarily by keratinocytes in the skin, but also expressed in other tissues.

  • Responsible for attracting T-cells (a type of immune cell) to areas where inflammation is occurring.

  • A signal that the body is experiencing immune activation and possibly chronic inflammation.

While CTACK’s role in dermatology is better known—especially in conditions like psoriasis and eczema—its presence in the PULS test highlights a broader role: systemic inflammation that impacts the vascular system.

CTACK and Cardiovascular Disease

Why would a skin-related chemokine matter in heart disease? The answer lies in immune cell trafficking and endothelial inflammation.

  • T-cell involvement in atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries) is not simply a cholesterol problem—it’s an inflammatory immune-driven process. T-cells infiltrate blood vessel walls, contributing to plaque formation, instability, and rupture.

  • CTACK as a systemic inflammation marker: Elevated CTACK indicates higher immune activity, meaning the immune system is sending more “attract” signals to recruit T-cells. This suggests heightened vascular inflammation.

  • Association with vulnerable plaque: The PULS test specifically measures biomarkers linked to plaque rupture risk. Elevated CTACK levels correlate with an increased likelihood of unstable plaque—the kind that causes sudden heart attacks.

Put simply: high CTACK means more immune traffic is being directed into blood vessels, increasing the chances of inflammation-driven cardiovascular events.

What Increases CTACK?

Several factors are known to elevate CTACK levels—most of which are linked to chronic inflammation, immune activation, and vascular stress:

1. Chronic Infections

  • Viral infections (like herpes viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus) can stimulate chemokine production.

  • Persistent bacterial infections, periodontal disease, and gut dysbiosis may also elevate systemic CTACK.

2. Autoimmune and Inflammatory Conditions

  • Psoriasis, eczema, and other chronic skin conditions increase CTACK (since keratinocytes are its main source).

  • Autoimmune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease) amplify CTACK expression.

3. Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction

  • Adipose tissue secretes inflammatory cytokines that stimulate chemokine production.

  • Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes drive chronic low-grade inflammation, contributing to elevated CTACK.

4. Smoking and Environmental Toxins

  • Smoking increases systemic inflammatory markers, including chemokines like CTACK.

  • Air pollution and heavy metals can have a similar effect.

5. Stress and Poor Sleep

  • Chronic psychological stress raises inflammatory signaling molecules.

  • Sleep deprivation disrupts immune regulation, leading to increased chemokine release.

6. High-Glycemic, Low-Fiber Diet

  • Refined sugar and processed foods promote oxidative stress and gut permeability, increasing immune activation.

  • Lack of fiber reduces short-chain fatty acid production (like butyrate), which normally suppresses inflammation.

What Decreases CTACK?

The goal in cardiovascular prevention is to lower CTACK and other inflammatory signals to reduce the risk of plaque rupture and heart attack. Strategies include diet, lifestyle, supplements, medications, and peptides.

1. Nutrition for Lowering CTACK

  • Anti-inflammatory diet: Emphasize vegetables, fruits, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds (Mediterranean pattern).

  • Reduce refined carbs and sugars: Lowers insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.

  • Increase omega-3 fatty acids: Omega 1300 helps balance immune signaling and reduce chemokine expression.

  • Polyphenol-rich foods: Green tea, berries, and dark chocolate help suppress inflammatory cytokines.

2. Supplements that Help

  • Curcumin (Curcumin Complex): Blocks NF-κB pathway, reducing chemokine production.

  • Quercetin (AllerFx): A flavonoid that reduces T-cell activation.

  • Vitamin D: Modulates immune signaling, lowers chemokine expression.

  • Probiotics: Improve gut integrity, reduce systemic immune activation.

3. Lifestyle Interventions

  • Exercise: Moderate aerobic activity lowers inflammatory chemokines.

  • Stress reduction: Mindfulness, meditation, and yoga reduce cortisol-driven immune activation.

  • Sleep optimization: 7–9 hours of restorative sleep lowers systemic inflammation.

  • Quit smoking and reduce toxin exposure: Removes major inflammatory triggers.

4. Medications (when appropriate)

  • Statins: Beyond lowering LDL, statins reduce vascular inflammation and chemokine expression.

  • ACE inhibitors/ARBs: Improve vascular function and reduce immune cell infiltration.

  • Biologic therapies: Used in autoimmune conditions, these directly lower chemokine activity.

5. Peptides for Immune Balance

  • BPC-157: Supports gut health and reduces systemic inflammation.

  • KPV: Potent anti-inflammatory peptide, directly downregulates cytokine and chemokine production.

  • Thymosin Alpha-1: Immune modulator that balances T-cell activity.

CTACK in the Context of the PULS Test

The SmartVascularDx PULS test measures seven inflammatory biomarkers:

  1. IL-16

  2. MCP-3

  3. Eotaxin

  4. CTACK

  5. Fas

  6. Fas Ligand

  7. HGF

Each one contributes to understanding the ongoing inflammatory damage within blood vessels. CTACK is particularly valuable because it reflects T-cell-driven immune activity, which is a major factor in plaque vulnerability.

A patient could have normal cholesterol but elevated CTACK, meaning their arteries are still under immune attack. This is why the PULS test often identifies “hidden risk” that traditional lipid panels miss.

Clinical Case Example

Consider a 52-year-old man with:

  • Borderline cholesterol

  • Normal blood pressure

  • Family history of heart disease

His standard lipid panel shows only mild LDL elevation. However, his PULS test shows elevated CTACK and MCP-3, signaling ongoing vascular inflammation.

Intervention:

Follow-up PULS test 6 months later shows reduced CTACK, indicating decreased immune activation and lower cardiovascular risk.

Key Takeaways

  • CTACK (CCL27) is a chemokine that attracts T-cells and is strongly linked to vascular inflammation.

  • Elevated CTACK is a warning sign for cardiovascular disease risk, even when cholesterol appears normal.

  • The PULS test measures CTACK along with six other biomarkers to provide a comprehensive assessment of plaque vulnerability and heart attack risk.

  • CTACK can be lowered through a combination of diet, lifestyle, supplements, medications, and peptides.

  • Addressing CTACK is part of a broader strategy to reduce inflammation-driven cardiovascular disease.

Conclusion

CTACK may not be a household name, but it’s a powerful indicator of cardiovascular risk hidden beneath the surface. By measuring it with the SmartVascularDx PULS test, clinicians can detect inflammation long before a heart attack occurs.

If your PULS test shows elevated CTACK, don’t panic—it’s an opportunity. By addressing diet, lifestyle, gut health, inflammation, and immune balance, you can actively reduce your risk of cardiovascular events.

At our clinic, we combine advanced biomarker testing with targeted functional and integrative therapies to restore vascular health and lower risk.

Take control of your heart health—ask about the PULS test and learn how to lower your CTACK levels naturally and effectively.

References

  1. Zlotnik A, Yoshie O. Chemokines: a new classification system and their role in immunity. Immunity. 2000;12(2):121-127.

  2. Braunersreuther V, Mach F, Steffens S. The specific role of chemokines in atherosclerosis. Thromb Haemost. 2007;97(5):714–721.

  3. Patel RS, et al. The PULS Cardiac Test: A blood test for predicting heart attack risk. Am J Cardiol. 2016;118(11):1675–1681.

  4. Homey B, et al. CCL27-CCR10 interactions regulate T cell-mediated skin inflammation. Nat Med. 2002;8(2):157–165.

  5. Ridker PM. Inflammation, C-reactive protein, and cardiovascular disease: moving past association to causation. Circulation Research. 2014;114(4):594–595.