ABSTRACT
Background@#Postmenopausal status increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and C-reactive protein (CRP) constitutes an independent cardiovascular risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with increased high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) level in postmenopausal women. @*Methods@#We included postmenopausal women without laboratory test results that suggested acute inflammation who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2016 and 2017. The participants were divided into high and low hs-CRP groups (cutoff value, 3.0 mg/L). We investigated factors that influenced the hs-CRP level with logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#The total number of subjects was 2,739, of whom 76.4% had low hs-CRP levels and 23.6% had high hs-CRP levels. The mean age and body mass index were higher in the high than in the low hs-CRP group. In the simple logistic regression analysis, high hs-CRP level was associated with smoking, whereas low hs-CRP level was associated with aerobic exercise, use of oral contraceptives, and history of pregnancy in postmenopausal women. When the analysis was adjusted for confounding variables, histories of smoking and pregnancy had a statistically significant association with high hs-CRP level. @*Conclusion@#This study showed that the important modifiable risk factors of elevated hs-CRP level in postmenopausal women of Korea include obesity, smoking, and lack of aerobic exercise, but well-controlled prospective investigations should be considered.