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C-reactive protein levels in patients at cardiovascular risk: EURIKA study
Julian P J Halcox1, Carine Roy, Florence Tubach
1Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK. j.p.j.halcox@swansea.ac.uk.
Insights
Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are common in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. This suggests a higher risk than traditional assessments indicate, highlighting the need for better risk management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomarkers
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) is linked to increased cardiovascular risk.
- CRP may identify patients benefiting from tailored risk factor management.
- Assessed CRP prevalence in patients with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of elevated CRP levels in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.
- To explore the association of CRP with traditional risk factors and metabolic syndrome.
- To evaluate CRP levels in a specific subgroup without diabetes or statin use.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the EURIKA study (NCT00882336) across 12 European countries.
- Included patients aged ≥50 years with at least one cardiovascular risk factor and no prior cardiovascular disease.
- Analyzed a subset excluding patients with diabetes mellitus or on statin therapy.
Main Results:
- CRP correlated positively with BMI and glycated hemoglobin, negatively with HDL cholesterol.
- Higher CRP levels observed in women, higher-risk individuals, and those with more metabolic syndrome markers.
- In the subgroup without diabetes/statins, ~30% had CRP ≥3 mg/L and ~50% had CRP ≥2 mg/L.
Conclusions:
- Elevated CRP is prevalent in patients with cardiovascular risk factors but without diabetes or statin use.
- Findings suggest CRP indicates higher cardiovascular risk than conventional systems predict.
- Highlights potential for improved cardiovascular risk stratification using CRP.
Background:
Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with high cardiovascular risk, and might identify patients who could benefit from more carefully adapted risk factor management. We have assessed the prevalence of elevated CRP levels in patients with one or more traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Methods:
Data were analysed from the European Study on Cardiovascular Risk Prevention and Management in Usual Daily Practice (EURIKA, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00882336), which included patients (aged ≥50 years) from 12 European countries with at least one traditional cardiovascular risk factor but no history of cardiovascular disease. Analysis was also carried out on the subset of patients without diabetes mellitus who were not receiving statin therapy.
Results:
In the overall population, CRP levels were positively correlated with body mass index and glycated haemoglobin levels, and were negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. CRP levels were also higher in women, those at higher traditionally estimated cardiovascular risk and those with greater numbers of metabolic syndrome markers. Among patients without diabetes mellitus who were not receiving statin therapy, approximately 30% had CRP levels ≥3 mg/L, and approximately 50% had CRP levels ≥2 mg/L, including those at intermediate levels of traditionally estimated cardiovascular risk.
Conclusions:
CRP levels are elevated in a large proportion of patients with at least one cardiovascular risk factor, without diabetes mellitus who are not receiving statin therapy, suggesting a higher level of cardiovascular risk than predicted according to conventional risk estimation systems.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00882336.
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