The relationship between C-reactive protein and cardiovascular risk factors

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein is an acute phase reactant, which can be increased by either (both) infectious or (and) non-infectious and non-specific reaction of cells and tissue metabolism. Also C-reactive protein is known to have a relationship between changes in lipid and glucose metabolism. In recent studies, the possibility of being a prognostic factor of cardiovascular risk factors and serum C-reactive protein concentration within conventional reference ranges in otherwise normal people has also received little attention. Therefore, in this study, we tried to look for the relationship between C-reactive protein and cardiovascular risk factors of a healthy adult. METHODS: We analyzed the results of the surveys and chemistries given to 3,548 healthy men and women who have visited the heath promotion center in a certain university hospital. We assayed the C-reactive protein by means of rate nephelometry. We omitted the case of 123 people who went over 1mg/dL. We compared C-reactive protein of normal and abnormal range of each risk factor and went through the multiple regression analysis for the factors with significant differences. RESULTS: When C-reactive protein concentration of normal and abnormal of cardiovascular risk factors were compared by t-test, there were differences according to age (p<0.001), sex (p<0.001), body mass index (p<0.001), WBC (p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (p<0.001), diastolic pressure (p<0.001), total cholesterol (p<0.00), HDL-cholesterol (p<0.05) and smoking (p<0.01). We could not find any significant difference of triglycerides. After going through multiple regression analysis for the risk factors, which showed a significant difference by t-test, we found out that the C-reactive protein increased as cholesterol (p<0.01), body mass index (p<0.01) and WBC (p<0.001) increased. As for HDL-cholesterol (p<0.001), the C-reactive protein increased as it decreased. Age, sex, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure did not show significant relationship we were looking for. CONCLUSION: C-reactive protein was not related to age, smoking history ,blood pressure, and triglycerides among cardiovascular risk factors, but was related to body mass index, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and WBC. This relationship indicated that even if the C-reactive protein was in normal range a person with C-reactive protein should be aware of the risk involved for cardiovascular diseases.

Peak Expiratory Flow in Normal Healthy Korean Subjects Measured by mini-Wright Peak Flow Meter / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Peak expiratory flow (PEF) provides a simple, quantitative, and reproducible measure of the existence and severity of airflow obstructions. Peak flow meters are designed to monitor the condition asthma patients. There are many reports showing the normal predicted value of PEF in other countries. studies on healthy Korean adults have been performed in a relatively small sample number and a lower limit for the normal value was not reported. therefore, an attempt to provide normal predictive PEF value with a lower limit was made. METHOD: The PEF(Mini-Wright peak Flow Meter) measurements and spirometry were done in 233 men and 631 woman without history of respiratory disease. all subjects were non-smokers with no respiratory symptoms. the normal predictive value and its lower limit were developed by multiple regression analysis. The result was compared with regression equations in other reports. RESULTS: The regression equation for the normal PEF predictive value(L/min) is 25.117+4.587×Age(year)-0.064×Age2+2.931×Height(cm) in men in men(R2=0.25), and 146.942-0.011×Age2+1.795×Height(cm)+0.836×Weight (kg) in women(R2=0.21). The regression equation for the lower limit of this value (L/min) is 25.117+4.587×Age(year)-0.064×Age2+1.936×Height (cm) in men, and 146.942-0.011×Age2+1.232× Height (cm)+0.481×Weight (kg) in women. The residuals were normally distributed. The PEF in Korean males was similar to those reported in British and Japanese subjects. The PEF in Korean females was similar to that in British subjects, But higher than the PEF in Japanese subjects. The lower limit of normal value was 71% of normal predictive PEF value in men and 76% in women. CONCLUSION: The normal predictive PEF value and its lower limit was measured from 233 male and 631 female asymptomatic, lifelong non-smoking participants. The normal predictive value was different from those of other studies on Korean subjects. Therefore, further studies are required.