Associations of C-Reactive Protein With Measures of Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Healthy, Middle-Aged Women

Abstract

Abstract-Obesity, the insulin resistance syndrome, and atherosclerosis are closely linked and may all be determinants of an increased acute-phase response. In this study, we examined the relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) with measures of obesity, variables of the insulin resistance syndrome, and intima-media thickness of the common carotid arteries in 186 healthy, middle-aged women selected from the general population. Associations were assessed by regression analysis. CRP was strongly associated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. CRP was also associated with other variables of the insulin resistance syndrome, including blood pressure, insulin, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1 (inversely), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, and tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen. Associations between CRP and the variables of the insulin resistance syndrome disappeared after controlling for BMI but remained significant for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen only. The association of CRP with common carotid artery intima-media thickness was weak and limited to ever-smokers. BMI explained 29.7% of the variance of CRP, whereas common carotid artery intima-media thickness explained only 3.7%. The results of this population-based study indicate that adiposity is strongly associated with CRP in healthy, middle-aged women. In this population, BMI accounted for the relationship between CRP and other variables of the insulin resistance syndrome. Further studies should determine whether losing weight ameliorates the inflammatory state.

Atherogenic inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in relation to overweight values in male former athletes

“…Our data demonstrate significant independent associations between WC, hsCRP, and DC ( Figure 1, Table 3). This is in agreement with the study by Hak et al 31 who also reported an independent association between WC and CRP levels. Visser et al 32 showed positive relationships between obesity (BMIX30.0 kg m À2 ), elevated WHR and CRP.…”

Circulating levels of MCP-1 and IL-8 are elevated in human obese subjects and associated with obesity-related parameters

“…C-reactive protein, a classical acute-phase protein, is a marker of the inflammatory cascade and the levels of CRP are known to increase in obesity as well as cardiovascular disease. In agreement with other reports, 25,26 we observed that the levels of CRP, were significantly elevated in obese subjects compared to nonobese subjects, and closely associated with BMI. These findings were consistent with other reports.…”

C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphisms, CRP levels and risk of incident essential hypertension: findings from an observational cohort of Han Chinese

“…It remains possible that the elevation in CRP levels could be caused by environmental and lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and insulin resistance. 30 In addition to environmental stimuli, CRP is induced by other inflammatory cytokines, and additional genes may regulate CRP levels as well. 31 As stated by Danesh et al, 32 although elevated CRP was a predictor of cardiovascular disease, it added little to current risk prediction models based on established traditional risk factors.…”