Association of C-reactive protein with carotid atherosclerosis in men and women: the Framingham Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and carotid atherosclerosis.


BACKGROUND
Levels of CRP, a nonspecific marker of inflammation, predict risk for cardiovascular events. However, the association between CRP and direct measures of atherosclerosis is not well established.


RESULTS
Subjects (n=3173, 52% women, mean age 55) in the offspring cohort of the Framingham Heart Study received a CRP measurement and then underwent carotid ultrasonography 4 years later. Carotid stenosis (> or =25%) was present in 24% of men and 14% of women. Age-adjusted odds ratios for carotid stenosis were 1.62 (95%CI 1.12 to 2.36) for men and 3.90 (CI 2.44 to 6.44) for women in the fourth quartile of CRP compared with those in the lowest quartile. After further adjustment for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, the odds ratio remained significant for women (2.97, CI 1.72 to 5.25) but not for men. Similarly, after multivariable adjustment, women in the fourth CRP quartile had a higher mean internal carotid intima-media thickness than those in the lowest CRP quartile (P< or =0.001). There was no association between common carotid intima-media thickness and CRP.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a graded association between CRP and carotid atherosclerosis in women but not in men. The significance of this difference between sexes merits further investigation.
Wang
Thomas J
TJ
Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Mass 01702-5827, USA.
Nam
Byung-Ho
BH
Wilson
Peter W F
PW
Wolf
Philip A
PA
Levy
Daniel
D
Polak
Joseph F
JF
D'Agostino
Ralph B
RB
O'Donnell
Christopher J
CJ
D000367:Age Factors; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein