Association Between High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein and Predicted Cardiovascular Risks in Schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of premature mortality in schizophrenia patients.
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a marker of subclinical inflammation and linked to CVD risk factors in the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive capability of hs-CRP for identifying high cardiovascular risk in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.
• To establish an optimal hs-CRP cutoff value for predicting high cardiovascular risk in this patient group.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted with 387 schizophrenia patients.
• hs-CRP levels and 10-year general cardiovascular risk were measured. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariate logistic regression were utilized.

Main Results:

• A hs-CRP cutoff value of 2.13 mg/L demonstrated fair discrimination for high cardiovascular risk (C statistic = 0.74).
• An hs-CRP level of ≥2.13 mg/L was independently associated with high cardiovascular risk (OR = 7.81, P = .008) after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusions:

• Elevated hs-CRP (≥2.13 mg/L) serves as an independent predictor of high cardiovascular risk in schizophrenia patients.
• Measuring hs-CRP may assist in identifying schizophrenia patients at elevated risk for cardiovascular events, warranting further prospective research.