Cardiovascular function is not associated with creatine kinase activity in a black African population: The SABPA study.
Higher creatine kinase (CK) activity is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease in black African populations. We compared CK activity and investigated associations of blood pressure with CK activity in black and white men as well as black and white women.



Ambulatory blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and pulse wave velocity of 197 black and 208 white participants were determined and serum CK activity was measured.



Blood pressure and pulse wave velocity were higher in black men and women (all p < 0.001) when compared to their white counterparts. CK activity only varied between black and white women (75.9 U/l vs 62.8 U/l, p = 0.009), even after adjusting for age, body mass index and physical activity. Despite the worse cardiovascular profile of black men and women, and the higher CK activity in the black women, we were unable to link blood pressure, pulse wave velocity or total peripheral resistance with CK activity, in the black African population. In white men, total peripheral resistance was associated with CK activity (R (2) = 0.32; β = 0.25; p = 0.009), whereas systolic blood pressure (R (2) = 0.46; β = 0.17; p = 0.03) and pulse pressure (R (2) = 0.31; β = 0.21; p = 0.01) were associated with CK activity in white women.



The lack of associations in the black African population suggests that the link between a worse cardiovascular profile and CK activity may be overshadowed by other contributing factors. Whereas, the established link between cardiovascular function and CK activity in the white groups may be the result of enhanced smooth muscle cell contractility and/or attenuated nitric oxide synthesis capacity.
Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa. carina.mels@nwu.ac.za.
Catharina M C
CM
Mels
Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
Caitlynd
C
van Zyl
Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.|MRC Research Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Hugo W
HW
Huisman
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D052283:Creatine Kinase, MM Form / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D044465:White People
D015415:Biomarkers; D052283:Creatine Kinase, MM Form
Blood pressure; Creatine kinase activity; Ethnicity; Pulse pressure; Total peripheral resistance