title: C-reactive protein after stroke in arterial hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and the risk of recurrent coronary and cerebral ischemic events after ischemic stroke in patients with arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  102 patients with mild-to-moderate arterial hypertension (67 male, aged 56-68 years) were enrolled in the study. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was determined on study entry only. Clinical interviews were performed every 3 months during 1 year after blood sampling. Clinical events included confirmed ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, coronary ischemic events, sudden death, diabetes mellitus, and all cardiovascular events including chronic heart failure and hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the highest quartile of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels had a significantly higher adjusted odds ratio for clinical events compared to those in the first quartile (odds ratio = 7.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.55-19.6, p = 0.001). A receiver operating characteristic curve detected a plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein cutoff level of 5.58 mg·L(-1) (76.7% sensitivity, 80.3% specificity). A Cox regression model identified high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >5.58 mg·L(-1) as an independent predictor of further cardiovascular events (hazard ratio = 7.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.15-12.6, p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels >5.58 mg·L(-1) strongly predict increased risk of cumulative cardiovascular events after ischemic stroke in hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Zaporozhye State Medical University, Zaporozhye, Ukraine dr_berezin@mail.ru.
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Berezin
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, District Hospital #6, Zaporozhye State Medical University, Zaporozhye, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Oxana A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Lisovaya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012372:ROC Curve; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; biological markers; brain ischemia; hypertension; risk factors; stroke