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C-reactive protein is elevated in the offspring of parents with essential hypertension

Juan Jose Díaz1, Juan Arguelles, Ignacio Málaga

  • 1Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|December 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children and young adults with a parent history of essential hypertension (EHT) show higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. Elevated hs-CRP is linked to increased body mass index (BMI) in this at-risk group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is linked to increased CVD and essential hypertension (EHT) risk in adults.
  • Genetic predisposition is a known factor in CVD development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between hs-CRP levels and cardiovascular risk factors in children and young adults with a parental history of EHT.
  • To compare hs-CRP levels in offspring of hypertensive parents versus controls.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective recruitment of 51 healthy children/young adults with hypertensive parents and 69 controls.
  • Measurement of hs-CRP, fasting lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), and anthropometric variables.
  • Statistical analysis to compare groups and assess correlations.

Main Results:

  • Higher hs-CRP levels were observed in the study group (offspring of hypertensive parents) compared to controls (p = 0.01).
  • 35.3% of the study group had elevated hs-CRP (> or =1 mg/l) versus 14.5% in controls (p = 0.009).
  • CRP correlated positively with body weight, BMI, and ponderosity index in the study group.

Conclusions:

  • Offspring of parents with EHT exhibit significantly higher hs-CRP levels.
  • A positive relationship between BMI and serum CRP exists in this high-risk pediatric and young adult cohort.
Abstract

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