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Interrelationships among circulating interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors
Edmund A Bermudez1, Nader Rifai, Julie Buring
1Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass 02215, USA. ebermudez@partners.org
Insights
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are linked to cardiovascular risk factors in women. Higher levels of these inflammation markers correlate with increased risks such such as high BMI and blood pressure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular disease research
- Inflammation markers
- Women's health
Background:
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) indicate systemic vascular inflammation.
- These markers are associated with atherothrombosis.
- Their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the interrelationships between IL-6, CRP, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
- To determine independent associations in apparently healthy women.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 340 women from the Women's Health Study.
- Unadjusted and multivariate analyses of IL-6 and CRP levels.
- Assessment of factors including BMI, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, exercise, hormone replacement therapy, and lipids.
Main Results:
- Higher IL-6 and CRP levels correlated with increased BMI, blood pressure, and smoking.
- IL-6 showed inverse relationships with exercise and hormone replacement therapy.
- CRP levels increased with hormone replacement therapy.
- Both IL-6 and CRP increased with more clinical risk factors.
- Independent associations were found between IL-6 and age, BMI, smoking, systolic blood pressure, alcohol use, diabetes, and exercise.
- CRP was associated with age, BMI, systolic blood pressure, HDL, smoking, and hormone replacement therapy.
Conclusions:
- Plasma IL-6 and CRP levels are independently associated with multiple clinical cardiovascular risk factors in women.
- These findings highlight the role of systemic inflammation in cardiovascular risk.
Objective:
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are markers of systemic vascular inflammation that herald atherothrombosis and may have important interrelationships with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Methods And Results:
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 340 apparently healthy women enrolled in the Women's Health Study. In unadjusted analyses, higher levels of IL-6 and CRP were seen with increasing body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and smoking exposure. IL-6 levels were related to the frequency of alcohol intake (P=0.002) and showed an inverse relationship with exercise frequency and hormone replacement therapy (P<0.0001 for both). CRP levels increased with hormone replacement therapy (P=0.0002). Associations among IL-6, CRP, and lipid levels were minimal. Overall, mean levels of IL-6 and CRP increased with increasing numbers of clinical risk factors (P<0.0001). In multivariate analyses, independent relationships were seen between levels of IL-6 and age, BMI, smoking, systolic blood pressure, alcohol use, presence of diabetes, and frequency of exercise. CRP was associated with age, BMI, systolic blood pressure, high density lipoprotein, smoking, and hormone replacement therapy in adjusted analyses.
Conclusions:
Plasma levels of IL-6 and CRP are independently related to several clinical cardiovascular risk factors in women.