C-reactive protein predicts death in patients with previous premature myocardial infarction--a 10 year follow-up

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Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty

Published on: January 28, 2020

Lars Retterstol1, Lars Eikvar, Morten Bohn

  • 1Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1036 Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway. l.j.retterstol@ioks.uio.no

Atherosclerosis
|February 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels strongly predict mortality in patients experiencing premature myocardial infarction (MI). Higher CRP levels significantly increase the risk of cardiac death, highlighting inflammation

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Inflammation Research
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Atherosclerosis is recognized as an inflammatory disease.
  • C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation, is linked to coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • Premature myocardial infarction (MI) poses a significant health risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and mortality in patients who experienced premature myocardial infarction (MI).
  • To determine if CRP is a prognostic factor for cardiac mortality in this patient group.

Main Methods:

  • Measured CRP levels in a cohort of 247 patients (193 males, 54 females) with first MI at ages ≤55 (males) or ≤60 (females).
  • Utilized CRP centile cut-off values (25th, 50th, 75th) for analysis.
  • Calculated unadjusted and adjusted relative risks (RRs) for total and cardiac mortality over a 10-year follow-up period, adjusting for factors like age, ejection fraction, cholesterol, fibrinogen, smoking, and hypertension.

Main Results:

  • After 10 years, 44 patients (17.8%) died, with 36 (81.8%) of cardiac causes.
  • Elevated CRP levels were a strong predictor of all-cause mortality, primarily due to their predictive power for cardiac death.
  • Patients in the highest CRP quartile exhibited a six-fold increased risk of cardiac death compared to those in the lowest quartile; RRs were moderately attenuated but remained significant after adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP) is a potent predictor of mortality in patients with premature myocardial infarction (MI).
  • Inflammation, as indicated by CRP levels, is a critical prognostic factor for patients with a history of premature MI.

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