Plasma levels of CRP shown to be highly associated with metabolic syndrome in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population
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Inflammation is associated with insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. This population-based cross-sectional survey including 1458 men and 1831 women from Beijing and Shanghai, aged 50 to 70, was conducted to investigate the distributions of C-reactive protein (CRP), a vascular inflammation marker/factor, and its association with the metabolic syndrome (ATP III criteria for Asian Americans). The median CRP level was 0.68 mg/L. Among participants from Beijing or urban areas, CRP levels were significantly higher than among participants from Shanghai or rural areas (P< 0.01). There was no gender difference in CRP levels. With rising CRP levels, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome progressively increased (P<0.0001 for trend). The adjusted risk for metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in the highest quartile of CRP levels (>1.50 mg/L) as compared with the lowest quartile of CRP (=0.33 mg/L), this association being observed in both obese and non obese study participants. The association was observed despite low overall plasma levels of CRP.
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