title: Does high sensitive CRP improve cardiovascular risk prediction in metabolic syndrome among the aged?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze whether an elevated level of high hsCRP has an additive effect on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in predicting future cardiovascular events (CVEs) as well as on all-cause mortality among the aged subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, population-based study with a 9-year follow-up. The study population consisted of persons aged 64 and above in 1998-99 without vascular disease and CRP less than 10 mg/l at baseline (n = 733). Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVEs and all-cause mortality predicted by baseline MetS (defined by both International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and World Health Organization (WHO)) and hsCRP-level were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 9-year follow-up, a total of 142 CVEs and 206 deaths occurred. After multivariable adjustment, no significant interactions were found between hsCRP and MetS in CVEs (IDF: p = 0.828; WHO: p = 0.572) or in all-cause mortality (IDF: p = 0.113; WHO: p = 0.374). HsCRP was not associated with the occurrence of CVEs (IDF: HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.92-1.32, p = 0.281; WHO: HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.93-1.32, p = 0.247) or with all-cause mortality (IDF: HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.97-1.29, p = 0.134; WHO: HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.96-1.28, p = 0.146).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that hsCRP does not give any extra value in evaluation of CVE risk or all-cause mortality of older subjects with MetS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland. majosa@utu.fi
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Marikka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuoppamäki
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vahlberg
authors.forename: Ismo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Räihä
authors.forename: Kerttu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irjala
authors.forename: Sirkka-Liisa
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kivelä
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein