Utility of C-reactive protein measurement in risk stratification during primary cardiovascular disease prevention

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• Traditional risk scores, like the Framingham risk score, provide valuable prognostic information.
• There is a need for enhanced risk stratification tools in primary prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical utility of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) testing.
• To determine how hs-CRP evaluation impacts cardiovascular risk stratification in patients at intermediate risk.
• To assess the role of hs-CRP in primary CVD prevention.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 100 patients with intermediate cardiovascular risk was evaluated.
• hs-CRP levels were measured and categorized according to established guidelines (low <1.0 mg/L, intermediate 1.0-3.0 mg/L, high >3.0 mg/L).
• The change in cardiovascular risk stratification after hs-CRP evaluation was analyzed.

Main Results:

• hs-CRP testing altered the cardiovascular risk strata in 66% of the evaluated patients.
• A significant proportion of intermediate-risk patients were reclassified based on hs-CRP levels.
• This indicates hs-CRP provides crucial prognostic information beyond traditional risk scores.

Conclusions:

• hs-CRP evaluation significantly modifies cardiovascular risk assessment in intermediate-risk individuals.
• The findings support the use of hs-CRP testing as a valuable component of primary CVD prevention.
• hs-CRP measurement can refine risk stratification, guiding more personalized preventive strategies.