Elevated serum complement C3 levels are associated with prehypertension in an adult population

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Prehypertension is a widespread condition often overlooked, despite its association with adverse health outcomes.
• The complement system, particularly complement C3 (C3), plays a crucial role in immune responses.
• The potential link between pro-inflammatory immune markers and prehypertension requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum complement C3 levels and the prevalence of prehypertension in an adult population.
• To explore the role of pro-inflammatory immune responses in the development of prehypertension.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 7820 Tianjin residents without hypertension.
• Serum C3 concentrations were measured and categorized into sex-specific quintiles.
• Adjusted logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between C3 quintiles and prehypertension prevalence, stratified by gender.

Main Results:

• Higher serum C3 levels were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of prehypertension in both men and women.
• In men, odds ratios for prehypertension increased across C3 quintiles, with the highest quintile showing a 1.71-fold increased odds (p < 0.0001).
• In women, a significant trend of increasing prehypertension prevalence with higher C3 levels was also observed (p = 0.03).

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum complement C3 levels are independently associated with prehypertension.
• These findings suggest that inflammation, indicated by C3 levels, may contribute to prehypertension.
• Targeting inflammation could be a potential therapeutic avenue for managing prehypertension and preventing hypertension.