High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Elevation Is Independently Associated with Subclinical Renal Impairment in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Population-A Community-Based Study in Northern Taiwan

Association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and renal function in Korean adults: A sex-specific analysis of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015 to 2018 data

This study aimed to investigate the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, as a surrogate marker of systemic inflammation, and renal function among Korean adults grouped by age, sex, and body mass index. This study analyzed data obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015 to 2018, a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 22,451 subjects included in this study, 19,607 (87.3%) and 2844 (12.7%) had normal kidney function and incident chronic kidney disease, respectively. Reduced renal function was more frequently observed in subjects with high hs-CRP levels than in those with low hs-CRP levels (odds ratio [OR], 1.438; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.234-1.674). In the group aged ≥ 65 years, the odds of reduced renal function were higher among subjects with a high hs-CRP level compared to those with a low hs-CRP level (OR, 1.528; 95% CI, 1.191-1.960). The association between hs-CRP level and renal function was observed only in women (OR, 2.485; 95% CI, 1.779-3.470) and further stratified by age and sex, the odds of reduced renal function were likely higher in women aged ≥ 65 years with a high hs-CRP level (OR, 2.338; 95% CI, 1.622-3.369). Moreover, reduced renal function was more observed in subjects aged ≥ 65 years and those with a body mass index < 25 kg/m2 (OR, 1.502; 95% CI, 1.087-2.075). This study showed that a high hs-CRP level likely contributes to the increased prevalence of reduced renal function. This association may aid the identification of individuals at high risk for reduced renal function, especially elderly women, in clinical or public health practice.

Diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease: Non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular risk

The prevalence and burden of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease on global health and socioeconomic development is already heavy and still rising. Diabetes mellitus by itself is linked to adverse cardiovascular events, and the presence of concomitant chronic kidney disease further amplifies cardiovascular risk. The culmination of traditional (male gender, smoking, advanced age, obesity, arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia) and non-traditional risk factors (anemia, inflammation, proteinuria, volume overload, mineral metabolism abnormalities, oxidative stress, etc.) contributes to advanced atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk. To decrease the morbidity and mortality of these patients due to cardiovascular causes, timely and efficient cardiovascular risk assessment is of huge importance. Cardiovascular risk assessment can be based on laboratory parameters, imaging techniques, arterial stiffness parameters, ankle-brachial index and 24 h blood pressure measurements. Newer methods include epigenetic markers, soluble adhesion molecules, cytokines and markers of oxidative stress. In this review, the authors present several non-invasive methods of cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease.

Associations between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and non-communicable diseases in an Asian population: findings from the IFLS study

Background: There has been no comprehensive study on how high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, a biomarker of inflammation, are associated with subsequent diagnoses of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Asians. Our study is the first to do so to better compare these associations in an Asian population.Methods: This is a nationwide longitudinal study of 3,410 male and 4,004 female participants of the RAND Indonesian Family Life Survey with a mean age of 42.4 years, to examine associations between increasing hs-CRP levels and risks of heart diseases, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, non-cancerous stomach or other digestive diseases, and non-cancerous kidney diseases. We used unadjusted and confounding-adjusted weighted Poisson regression models to respectively examine associations involving hs-CRP as a risk predictor or indicator of chronic inflammation. Several stratified subpopulation analyses were also performed.Results: Increasing hs-CRP levels predicted significantly higher risks of being diagnosed with all of the studied NCDs except stomach or other digestive diseases. After adjusting for confounding, increasing hs-CRP levels were significantly associated with higher risks of diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, and kidney diseases.Conclusions: Our comprehensive findings on the associations between hs-CRP levels and risks of several NCDs in Asians may have clinical implications and promote additional studies on this topic.