Long-term body weight variability is associated with elevated C-reactive protein independent of current body mass index among Japanese men.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the effect of long-term weight variability on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of the circulating CRP.


METHODS
A total of 637 Japanese men aged 40-49 y in1997.


METHODS
Serum CRP levels, body mass index in 1997 (current BMI), the slope of weight on age (weight-slope) representing an individual's weight trend of direction and magnitude, and the root mean square error around the slope of weight on age (weight-RMSE) representing the weight fluctuation magnitude, as calculated by a simple linear regression model in which each value of the subject's five actual weights (aged 20, 25, 30 y, five years ago, and current) was a dependent variable and the subject's ages independent variables.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age and confounders, including smoking and health status, the odds ratios of elevated CRP (> or =0.06 mg/dl) were 1.83 (95% CI: 1.25-2.69), 2.63 (1.69-4.11), and 10.31 (2.17-48.98) for upper normal-weight (BMI: 22-<25 kg/m(2)), overweight (25-<30), and obese (> or =30) persons, respectively, compared with lower normal-weight persons (18.5-<22). Adjusting for age, confounders, and current BMI, weight-slope was positively associated with CRP level especially among subjects with BMI> or =25 kg/m(2) (trend P<0.01), and weight-RMSE was positively associated with CRP level particularly among subjects with BMI <25 kg/m(2) (trend P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest a state of low-grade systemic inflammation not only in overweight and obese persons, but also in normal-weight persons with large weight fluctuation, possibly explaining in part the positive association between weight fluctuation and CVD.
Tamakoshi
K
K
Department of Public Health/ Health Information Dynamics, Field of Social Life Science, Program in Health and Community Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. tamako@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Yatsuya
H
H
Kondo
T
T
Ishikawa
M
M
Zhang
H
H
Murata
C
C
Otsuka
R
R
Mabuchi
T
T
Hori
Y
Y
Zhu
S
S
Yoshida
T
T
Toyoshima
H
H
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology
D002097:C-Reactive Protein