C-reactive protein: adjunct to cardiovascular risk assessment

Area of Science:

• Biomarkers in cardiovascular medicine
• Inflammation and cardiovascular risk

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
• Standard risk assessment often relies on lipid profiles and traditional risk factors.
• The role of inflammation as a contributor to CVD pathogenesis is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if elevated plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels are an independent predictor of cardiovascular events.
• To evaluate the added value of hs-CRP testing in conjunction with standard lipid screening for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• A hospital-based, retrospective case-control study was conducted.
• Patients undergoing cardiovascular assessment or treatment were included.
• Data on hs-CRP, cholesterol, demographics, and risk factors were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Elevated hs-CRP was associated with a 1.84-fold increased risk of CVD (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.00-3.38).
• This association remained independent of other cardiovascular risk factors (p=0.058).
• Combining high hs-CRP and high cholesterol significantly amplified CVD risk (OR 9.5) compared to high cholesterol alone (OR 6.0).

Conclusions:

• Hs-CRP testing improves the clinical identification of individuals at high risk for cardiovascular events.
• Incorporating hs-CRP into risk assessment facilitates earlier lifestyle and pharmaceutical interventions.
• Hs-CRP serves as a valuable inflammatory marker for enhanced cardiovascular risk stratification.