Association of high sensitivity C-reactive protein with coronary heart disease prediction, but not with carotid atherosclerosis, in patients with hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Inflammation is believed to predict coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy subjects and in patients with atherosclerosis. We investigated the association of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) and other inflammatory markers on cardiovascular outcome, and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients.


RESULTS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 122 hypertensive patients and compared them with 64 normotensive volunteers. We measured circulating levels of HS-CRP, white blood cells (WBC), albumin, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and interleukin-6, and examined the associations with traditional risk factors of CHD, carotid atherosclerosis, and a 10-year risk of CHD, based on the risk prediction algorithm of the Framingham model. The mean of blood pressure (BP) of the hypertensive patients was 163/102 mmHg (normotensives; 118/79 mmHg). The 10-year risk of CHD was higher in the hypertensive patients (9.3 +/- 7.3%) compared with the normotensive volunteers (4.3 +/- 4.2%). Albumin and HS-CRP were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients. Multivariate analysis showed that among markers, only HS-CRP was associated with 10-year risk of CHD (beta=0.13, p=0.03). The BP, body mass index, high-density lipoprotein, WBC count, fibrinogen, and cardiac hypertrophy increased across quartiles of HS-CRP. There was no association between HS-CRP and carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with hypertension and normotension.


CONCLUSIONS
A higher HS-CRP level was associated with a higher risk score of CHD, but not with carotid atherosclerosis, in patients with hypertension.
Choi
Hyunah
H
Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medine, Seoul, Korea.
Cho
Dong Hee
DH
Shin
Hyun Ho
HH
Park
Jeong Bae
JB
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000097:blood; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D002097:C-Reactive Protein