(20-11-05) Elevated CRP linked to standard heart disease risk factors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are usually accompanied by high cholesterol levels and other traditional coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, according to data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

"Moreover," researchers report in the October 10th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, "CRP elevation is rare in the absence of borderline or abnormal risk factors."
Dr. Michael Miller from the University of Maryland in Baltimore who led the study told Reuters Health that although "CRP is an excellent barometer of inflammation, it simply reflects a hostile environment induced by inactivity, central weight gain, smoking and other heart disease promoting risk factors."
An analysis of 15,341 NHANES participants demonstrated the relationship of CHD risk factors and CRP beyond 3 mg/L. In weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis, a high CRP was significantly more common with obesity, overweight, and diabetes.
High CRP was "rare in the absence of any borderline or abnormal CHD risk factor in men (4.4%) and women (10.3%)," according to the team. Overall, however, the risk of elevated CRP level attributable to the presence of any abnormal or borderline CHD risk factor was 78% in men and 67% in women.
Thus the researchers conclude that "CRP measurement may have limited utility as a screening tool beyond other known CHD risk factors."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Russell P. Tracy and Lewis H. Kuller from the University of Vermont in Burlington agree and note that this position is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association guidelines.

Source : Arch Intern Med 2005;165:2058-2060,2063-2068.

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