Association between C-reactive protein and blood pressure in a cohort of elderly Muscovites: epidemiological study data

Abstract

Background. The elevation of blood pressure (BP) affects the development of vascular inflammation. At the same time, it has been suggested that inflammation itself could be an independent risk factor (RF) of arterial hypertension (AH) development. Aim. To investigate whether the association between increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and AH is independent from classical RFs. Material and methods. The data were obtained during a crosssectional survey of 1876 Muscovites (47,9% men) aged ≥55 years, who participated in the prospective study “Stress, Ageing, and Health in Russia”. In all participants, socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviours, parameters of anthropometry and rest electrocardiography (ECG) were assessed. The levels of BP and blood lipids were also measured. The outcome variable was an increase in CRP levels (>3 mg/l). Statistical methods included logistic regression; the risk estimates were presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. There was a positive link between AH and CRP levels of >3 mg/l. After adjustment for age and sex, OR of increased CRP levels in hypertensive participants vs. their AH-free peers was 1,688 (95% CI 1,323-2,154; p=0,0001). In the final model (adjustment for age, sex, educational level, smoking, alcohol consumption, abdominal obesity, high atherogenicity index, and coronary heart disease, CHD), this effect remained statistically significant (OR 1,450; 95% CI 1,127-1,864; p=0,004). Conclusion. In elderly Muscovites, a positive association between increased CRP levels and the elevation of BP was independent from RFs and CHD.

Keywords

• c-reactive protein
• arterial hypertension
• inflammation
• atherosclerosis
• risk factors