Relationship between serum bilirubin and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum bilirubin and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with hypertension.


METHODS
Carotid artery ultrasonography was performed in 198 patients (104 males, average age of 65.6+/-7.1 years) with hypertension. Serum levels of bilirubin and C-reactive proteins (CRP) were measured at the same time.


RESULTS
Carotid atherosclerosis was detected in 133 patients, 87 of them had carotid artery plaque. The prevalence of stroke (20.3%) and myocardial infarction (13.5%) in the atherosclerosis group was higher than in the non-atherosclerosis group (9.2% and 6.2%, respectively, p<0.05). The average total serum bilirubin in the atherosclerosis group was lower than in the non-atherosclerosis group (12.8+/-1.3 vs 16.8+/-1.5 micromol/L, p<0.01), whereas the average serum of CRP was higher (4.1+/-1.1 vs 2.3+/-0.7 mg/L, p<0.01). After adjusting other factors such as age, total cholesterol, diabetes and systolic blood pressure, total serum bilirubin was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in women and men, with odds ratios of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.71; p<0.01) and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.80; p<0.01). Serum CRP was positively correlated to carotid atherosclerosis, with odds ratios of 1.76 (95% CI, 1.36 to 2.04; p<0.01) in women and 1.95 (95% CI, 1.46 to 2.82; p<0.01) in men.


CONCLUSIONS
Carotid atherosclerosis was associated with a high prevalence of stroke or myocardial infarction in hypertensive patients. Serum bilirubin was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
Yang
Xia-Feng
XF
Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Chen
Yuan-Zhi
YZ
Su
Jiang-Li
JL
Wang
Feng-Yun
FY
Wang
Le-Xin
LX
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000975:Antioxidants; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D001663:Bilirubin