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C-reactive protein concentration predicts mortality in type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes Heart Study

A J Cox1, S Agarwal, D M Herrington

  • 1Center for Human Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.

Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the British Diabetic Association
|January 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

High C-reactive protein levels significantly predict all-cause mortality risk in European Americans with Type 2 diabetes. This finding supports using C-reactive protein as a screening tool for increased mortality risk in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Current guidelines link C-reactive protein (CRP) to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but its utility across diverse populations, especially those with high disease burden like Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is unclear.
  • Individuals with T2DM face elevated risks of CVD and mortality, necessitating refined risk prediction strategies.
  • The Diabetes Heart Study investigated CRP's role in mortality risk within this specific demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between C-reactive protein concentrations and the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • To determine if CRP is a reliable predictor of mortality in European Americans diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
  • To assess the consistency of CRP as a risk marker in a population with a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 846 European Americans with T2DM underwent baseline C-reactive protein measurement.
  • Participant vital status was tracked over a mean follow-up of 7.3 years.
  • Logistic regression analysis was employed to correlate baseline CRP levels with all-cause mortality, controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors like blood lipids.

Main Results:

  • A total of 160 participants (18.7%) died during the follow-up period.
  • No significant differences in baseline glucose or lipid profiles were found between survivors and those who deceased.
  • Elevated baseline CRP levels were significantly associated with increased mortality risk: individuals with CRP 3-10 mg/l had a 2.06-fold increased risk, and those with CRP >10 mg/l had a 5.24-fold increased risk of death.

Conclusions:

  • C-reactive protein concentration is a significant predictor of all-cause mortality in European Americans with Type 2 diabetes.
  • These findings validate the use of CRP as a valuable screening tool for identifying individuals at higher risk of mortality within this population.
  • The study supports integrating CRP measurements into risk prediction models for patients with Type 2 diabetes to enhance mortality risk assessment.
Abstract

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