High hs-CRP levels in hyperuricaemic patients linked to increased long-term CHD risk

There appears to be a borderline positive association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and long-term risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) among middle-aged and elderly individuals with hyperuricaemia, a study reports.

The cross-sectional study evaluated the 10-year CHD risk in 517 hyperuricaemic patients (84.7 percent male) aged 40–85 years in relation to hs-CRP levels. Hyperuricaemia was based on uric acid concentrations: ≥416 μmol/L for males and ≥360 μmol/L for females.

In the cohort, 193 patients (37.3 percent) had relatively high 10-year CHD risk, as measured using the Framingham risk score. The crude odds ratios (ORs) associated with the highest four vs lowest quintile of serum hs-CRP level were as follows: second, 1.43 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.78–2.63; p=0.245); third, 2.05 (95 percent CI, 1.14–3.67; p=0.016); fourth, 2.77 (95 percent CI, 1.54–4.98; p=0.001); and fifth, 2.12 (95 percent CI, 1.18–3.80; p=0.012; p-trend=0.057).

The results did not change significantly following adjustments for several potential confounding factors, although the associations had become only borderline significant. The respective multivariable ORs for 10-year CHD in the second, third, fourth and fifth quintiles of serum hs-CRP level were 1.40 (95 percent CI, 0.75–2.61; p=0.291), 2.05 (95 percent CI, 1.13–3.72; p=0.019), 2.69 (95 percent CI, 1.47–4.89; p=0.001) and 2.10 (95 percent CI, 1.15–3.84; p=0.016) when compared with the lowest quintile (p-trend=0.068).

Despite the need for more research, the findings suggest that hs-CRP could serve as a marker for CHD risk in patients with hyperuricaemia, according to researchers.