| Popis: |
Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) has emerged as an important indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease. Its predictive capacity could be linked to its relation with the cardiovascular risk factors. Objetive: To identify the relationship between C-reactive protein levels and the cardiovascular classic risk factors in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Methods: A total of 189 patients with angiographically determined stable coronary artery disease were studied. Sex, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lipids and CRP were evaluated. The CRP levels were determined by a high sensitive method. Results: The CRP values were higher in women as compared to men (3.25 vs. 2.25 mg/L). Although the CRP values were higher when either cardiovascular risk factor was present, the most remarkable difference was for obese patients (3.88 vs. 1.54 mg/L). Positive correlations were observed both between CRP and body mass index (r = 0.191, p= 0.003) and CRP and triglycerides concentrations (r= 0.138, p= 0.033), whereas a negative correlation was observed between CRP and HDL cholesterol (r= -0.150, p= 0.026). CRP levels increased with the increasing number of cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions: Higher C-reactive protein levels are related to female sex and to classic cardiovascular risk factors, mainly obesity and dislipidemia, in patients with stable coronary artery disease. |
