title: Waist circumference is the main determinant of elevated C-reactive protein in metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. C-reactive protein (CRP) has been reported to be elevated in subjects with MetS. However, which component of MetS contributes mostly to the elevation has not been studied in detail.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 628 apparently healthy Japanese subjects (men 262, women 366, age 19-85 years). Body mass index, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, lipids, glucose, insulin and CRP were measured. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In partial correlation analysis, WC showed the strongest correlation with CRP among the variables related to MetS. CRP increased as the number of MetS components increased. The mean CRP value adjusted for demographic variables was higher in subjects with MetS than those without MetS, and further adjustments with variables related to MetS revealed that the significant difference between the two groups disappeared only when further adjustment was made for WC. In multiple linear regression analysis, the independent variable that most strongly explained the CRP level was WC, which was followed by HDL-cholesterol. Finally, comparison of the CRP levels in groups stratified by abdominal obesity and the number of MetS components revealed that those with abdominal obesity tended to show higher CRP levels compared with those without abdominal obesity regardless of the number of MetS components other than WC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects with MetS showed higher levels of CRP and the main determinant of the CRP elevation was WC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Maidashi 3-1-1, Fakuoka 812-8582, Japan. yobun@intmed1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yuhko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Egami
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Sumie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jingu
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D018579:Patient Selection; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids