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The relationship between blood pressure and C-reactive protein in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Susan G Lakoski1, Mary Cushman, Walter Palmas

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. slakoski@wfubmc.edu

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|November 16, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension is linked to higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, indicating inflammation, in men and women. This association varies by ethnicity, being strongest in Chinese individuals and absent in Hispanics.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular disease research
  • Inflammation markers
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are frequently observed in individuals with hypertension.
  • Hypertension prevalence differs significantly across various ethnic groups.
  • The relationship between hypertension and CRP across different ethnic and gender subgroups requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between resting blood pressure (BP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
  • To examine this relationship in a multi-ethnic cohort of men and women.
  • To determine if the hypertension-CRP association differs across ethnic and gender subgroups.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of baseline clinical examination data from 6,814 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
  • Measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels for all participants.
  • Hypertension defined as systolic or diastolic BP ≥140/90 mm Hg or self-reported history and medication use.

Main Results:

  • Hypertensive participants exhibited significantly higher geometric mean CRP levels (2.3 mg/l) compared to normotensive participants (1.6 mg/l) (p < 0.0001).
  • The relative increase in CRP for hypertensives was consistent across genders (13% in men, 13% in women).
  • Ethnic variations were observed: Chinese participants showed the largest CRP difference (24%) with hypertension, while Hispanics showed no significant difference.

Conclusions:

  • An independent association between hypertension and inflammation, as indicated by CRP, is confirmed in both men and women.
  • Significant ethnic differences exist in the hypertension-inflammation relationship.
  • The strongest association was found in Chinese participants, with no significant association observed in Hispanics.
Abstract

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