C-reactive protein, inflammation, and coronary risk: an update

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Inflammation Research
• Metabolic Syndrome Studies

Background:

• Inflammation is recognized as a key factor in atherothrombosis, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
• Early adoption of C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements was cautious due to assay variability.
• High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) assays have improved reliability and expanded research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the significance of inflammation in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
• To discuss the evolution and utility of CRP measurements in risk assessment.
• To explore the potential of hs-CRP in understanding pathobiology and guiding therapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of research on CRP as an inflammatory marker.
• Evaluation of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) assay availability and validation.
• Analysis of CRP's prognostic information in various clinical contexts.

Main Results:

• hs-CRP provides valuable prognostic information and enhances understanding of disease pathobiology.
• Established normal values and widely available hs-CRP assays facilitate clinical use.
• CRP measurements show limited utility in active clinical syndromes outside research.

Conclusions:

• CRP measurements, especially hs-CRP, are poised for increased use in assessing vascular risk and potentially guiding therapy.
• The extensive database supporting CRP surpasses other inflammatory markers.
• Further research vigorously pursuing the link between inflammation and atherosclerosis is warranted.