title: Population distribution of high sensitivity C-reactive protein values in Aboriginal Australians: a comparison with other populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the distribution of C-reactive protein (CRP) values in Aboriginal Australians and its relation to age and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  High sensitivity CRP levels were measured in 954 Aboriginal participants aged 5-74 years. Fractional polynomial regressions were used to explore the relationship between CRP and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRP values changed with age and reached its lowest level around 10 years and then increased with age. Geometric means of CRP were 7.3 (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.6, 8.1) and 4.1 (95% CI: 3.7, 4.6) for female and male adults, respectively. Adjusting for age, the ratio of female to male CRP concentrations was 1.67 (95% CI: 1.45, 1.99) for adults, and 1.09 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.42) for children 5 to 19 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRP changes with age. Females have higher CRP values than males. CRP values in Aboriginal people are substantially higher than other populations.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chronic Disease, Department of Medicine-Central Clinical Division, The University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston Qld 4029, Australia. zwang@ccs.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wendy E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hoy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044382:Population Groups; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein