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Pulse-Wave Velocity, Flow-Mediated Dilation, and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness to Assess Cardiovascular Risk in Population with Metabolic Syndrome
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Does high sensitive CRP improve cardiovascular risk prediction in metabolic syndrome among the aged?

Marika Salminen1, Marikka Kuoppamäki, Tero Vahlberg

  • 1Institute of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland. majosa@utu.fi

Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal : SCJ
|June 4, 2013
PubMed

Insights

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) does not add value in predicting cardiovascular events or mortality in older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study found no significant interaction between hsCRP levels and MetS for these outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cardiology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an inflammatory marker associated with CVD.
  • The additive prognostic value of hsCRP in older adults with MetS requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if elevated hsCRP levels provide additional predictive value for cardiovascular events (CVEs) and all-cause mortality in elderly individuals with MetS.
  • To analyze the interaction between hsCRP and MetS in predicting future cardiovascular events and mortality in the aged population.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, population-based study followed 733 individuals aged 64+ for 9 years.
  • Participants were free of vascular disease and had CRP < 10 mg/l at baseline.
  • Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for CVEs and all-cause mortality, considering MetS (IDF and WHO definitions) and hsCRP levels.

Main Results:

  • Over 9 years, 142 CVEs and 206 deaths occurred.
  • No significant interaction was found between hsCRP and MetS for CVEs or all-cause mortality (p > 0.05 for all interaction tests).
  • hsCRP alone was not significantly associated with CVEs or all-cause mortality in this cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated hsCRP does not appear to offer additional predictive value for cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality in older subjects already diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.
  • Current inflammatory markers like hsCRP may not enhance risk stratification beyond MetS criteria in the elderly.
Abstract

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