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C-Reactive Protein and The Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Venkata M Alla1, Senthil Thambidorai1, Kishlay Anand1

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.

Journal of Atrial Fibrillation
|May 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) significantly increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). This risk is notably higher with greater increases in CRP levels, underscoring its role in AF development.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical research
  • Cardiovascular medicine
  • Inflammation markers

Background:

  • Growing evidence suggests a link between C-reactive protein (CRP) and atrial fibrillation (AF).
  • Inconsistent study results have created confusion regarding this association.
  • Existing literature requires synthesis to clarify the CRP-AF relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF).
  • To quantify the risk of AF associated with elevated CRP, considering different cutoff levels.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of MEDLINE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to July 2009.
  • Inclusion of 8 studies comprising 7507 participants (719 with AF) in the meta-analysis.
  • Screening of reference lists from selected articles and reviews to identify additional relevant studies.

Main Results:

  • A meta-analysis revealed a relative risk of 1.63 for AF occurrence when CRP levels exceeded 3-3.5 mg/l.
  • Analysis of 3 studies with higher CRP cutoffs (4.5-5.0 mg/l) showed a significantly increased relative risk of 4.03.
  • The risk of AF appears to be incremental with higher CRP levels.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
  • Higher CRP levels correlate with a proportionately increased risk of AF.
  • Further large-scale, prospective studies are crucial to definitively assess the CRP-AF relationship.

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